Israel shuts down Al-Rasasi Mosque in Jerusalem

Al-Rasasi Mosque is located near Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam

JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities on Wednesday shut down Al-Rasasi Mosque in Jerusalem.

The Muslim house of worship - located near Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam - was shut for six months on the grounds that parts of it were being used as an office by Jerusalem’s Jordan-run Religious Endowments Authority.

The offices of Palestinian state television and the Palestinian National Education Directorate in East Jerusalem were also shut for six months following a raid by Israeli police earlier in the day.

Scores of Jewish settlers storm Al-Aqsa amid tension

Just weeks earlier, on November 13, scores of Jewish settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, according to a Palestinian agency.

"Around 123 settlers backed by Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa compound since early morning," said the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, a Jordan-run agency responsible for overseeing the city’s Muslim and Christian holy sites.

Settlers swarmed into the site via the Al-Maghariba Gate, usually guarded by Israeli police.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the 'Temple Mount' claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, in which Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Middle East War. It formally annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it as its capital - a move never recognised by the international community.