JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Muslim prayers at Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound will resume next week after a nearly two-month pause now that the spread of the new coronavirus has slowed, a religious council said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Council of Islamic Waqf said the restriction on outdoor prayer at the site would be lifted after the Muslim holiday of Eid El-Fitr marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Eid El-Fitr is due to start on Saturday or Sunday.
On March 15, religious officials closed al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, and a week later also banned worshippers from gathering in open areas of the holy hilltop compound, known to Muslims as the Noble (NYSE:NE) Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount. L8N2BF0VQ
It was not immediately clear whether worshippers would also be allowed back into al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock next week. A Palestinian religious official in Jerusalem said further details would be released at a later date.
