Number of worshippers allowed into Al-Aqsa for Ramadan 'same as before': Israel

Jerusalem (IANS) Israel will not impose new limits on the number of worshippers allowed into Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the first week of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Prime Minister's office (PMO) has said.

The decision was made following a meeting of the country's top security officials on prayers at the site, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued by the PMO on Tuesday.

"Ramadan is sacred to Muslims; its sanctity will be upheld this year, as it is every year," the PMO said.

During the first week of the fasting month of Ramadan, which begins this year around March 11, the access of worshippers to the site will be permitted, said the office, adding the number of worshippers will be "similar to that in previous years," without specifying the exact figure.

"A weekly assessment of security and safety will be held, and a decision will be made accordingly," it noted.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is regarded by Muslims as their third holiest site. The site is supervised by the Jordanian Waqf but is located in East Jerusalem, a territory annexed by Israel after it first captured it in the 1967 Middle East war.