Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque reopens after lockdown

By Saeed Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) – East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque was reopened on Sunday after more than two months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Jordan-run Islamic Waqf Department said the holy site is now open to worshippers.

Worshippers chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) as they were let into the mosque for the dawn prayers, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter at the scene.

The mosque was closed off to all worshippers late March amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in Palestinian territories.

Palestinian authorities have recorded more than 600 virus cases, including five deaths.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.