The Palestinian Authority and Jordan rejected on Sunday Israel’s temporary closure of the Bab al-Rahma, a side building at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry called on Israel to rescind its "dangerous" court-ordered closure, saying that the mosque compound "is not subject to Israeli jurisdiction" and falls under the "exclusive authority of the Waqf," or Islamic council.
An Israeli court has set a 60-day deadline for the Jordanian-appointed council that oversees Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem to respond to its closure.
The Waqf said it will continue operating in the structure while Jordan and Israel attempt to reach a settlement in the coming weeks.
The Palestinian foreign ministry slammed the Israeli decision, saying it was a “blatant attempt to place the future of the Aqsa and its surroundings in the hands of occupation courts.”
The Palestinian presidency said that the decision reflected the occupation’s ongoing policy of escalation against Jerusalem and its holy sites.
It deemed the order “void and illegal and a violation of all international rulings that stipulate that East Jerusalem, including the al-Aqsa mosque and its compound are part of Palestinian territories that were occupied in 1967 and are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction.”
It therefore, held Israeli authorities completely responsible for any repercussions of its dangerous order.
Bab al-Rahma, or the Golden Gate, has been the source of tensions in recent weeks.
There have been scuffles between worshippers and Israeli police at the site in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem over the use of the side building.
Palestinian worshippers have been entering the site despite an Israeli order that it should stay closed.
Israel shut access to the Golden Gate in 2003 during the second Palestinian intifada over alleged militant activity there.
Palestinian officials argue that the organization that prompted the ban no longer exists and there is no reason for it to remain closed.
The larger compound is the third-holiest site in Islam and a focus of Palestinian aspirations for statehood.
It is also the location of Judaism's most sacred spot, revered as the site of the two biblical-era Jewish temples.
Jews are allowed to visit but cannot pray there and it is a frequent scene of tension.
