Al-Aqsa Mosque
In Jerusalem, Palestinian Christians observe scaled-down Good Friday rituals
By Julia Frankel — March 29, 2024
JERUSALEM (AP) — The city's streets were noticeably devoid of Palestinian Christians from the West Bank, who normally flock to the Holy City for the Easter festivities. Since Oct. 7, Palestinian worshippers have needed special permission to cross checkpoints into Jerusalem.
Umrah diary: Crossing into Jerusalem, looking Muslim
By Dilshad Ali — January 24, 2024
(RNS) — Making a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia with two of our kids, we stopped to pray at the third-holiest site in Islam.
Why Hamas is selling its assault on Israel as a holy war
By Michele Chabin and Yonat Shimron — October 17, 2023
(RNS) — The reference to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, was a rallying cry to unite Muslims everywhere.
Why Al-Aqsa remains a sensitive site in Palestine-Israel conflict
By Ken Chitwood — October 10, 2023
(The Conversation) — The Al-Aqsa mosque, a flashpoint in Hamas’ recent assault against Israel, hosts daily prayers and Friday gatherings. It lies adjacent to important Jewish and Christian religious locales.
How we got to the ‘Al-Aqsa tsunami’
By Daoud Kuttab — October 7, 2023
(RNS) — Ramping up religious fanaticism for political ends always ends badly.
Citing Al-Aqsa Mosque, Hamas launches broad attack as Israelis celebrate Simchat Torah
By Josef Federman and Issam Adwan — October 7, 2023
JERUSALEM (AP) — Under cover of a barrage of rockets, dozens of Hamas militants broke out of the blockaded Gaza Strip and into nearby Israeli towns, killing hundreds and abducting others in an early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday.
The Muslim prayer hall that may spark the next Israeli-Palestinian battle
By Daoud Kuttab — May 4, 2023
(RNS) — In Jerusalem, small frictions can escalate quickly if the causes are not addressed.
After unrest at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israel curtails freedom of worship for Christians
By Daoud Kuttab — April 13, 2023
(RNS) — Negotiations between church officials and the Israeli police have broken down.
Church: Israel limiting rights of ‘Holy Fire’ worshippers
By Laurie Kellman and Audrey Horowitz — April 12, 2023
JERUSALEM (AP) — The chief superintendent of the Jerusalem District Police told reporters that the police's top priority is safety on a day when Muslims, Christians and Jews are celebrating their own holidays in the square-kilometer (square-half mile) Old City.
Tensions build around Jerusalem shrine after Syria rockets
By Ilan Ben Zion — April 10, 2023
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the northeastern neighbor, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak Sunday at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals.
Francis focuses Easter message on hope, with prayers for an end to global conflicts
By Junno Arocho Esteves — April 9, 2023
ROME (RNS) — The proclamation that Christ is 'truly risen' is a reminder that 'our hope is not an illusion, but the truth,' the pope said.
Rocket fire from Gaza, Lebanon at Israel as Passover begins
By Sam McNeil — April 7, 2023
JERUSALEM (AP) — Militants fired rockets from Gaza and Lebanon toward Israel on Thursday, following confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers at a major Muslim shrine in Jerusalem for a second day in a row.
When Ramadan means an escalation of Israeli occupation violence
By Omar Suleiman — April 5, 2023
(RNS) — To end the now annual attacks on Muslims during Ramadan, we must end the Israeli occupation.
Violence erupts at Jerusalem holy site for a 2nd night
By Isabel Debre and Fares Akram — April 5, 2023
(AP) — Since Ramadan began March 22, scores of Muslim worshippers have repeatedly tried to stay overnight in the mosque, a practice that is typically permitted only during the last 10 days of the monthlong holiday.
The dangerous week ahead in the Old City of Jerusalem
By Daoud Kuttab — April 4, 2023
(RNS) — Jerusalem is on edge as radical Jewish activists push to hold a ritual where Muslims gather for Ramadan.
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