Israeli police reopened Sunday al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem after barring visitors from the site last week because of clashes between Jewish fundamentalists and Muslims.
"We are authorizing visitors to enter the site following an assurance from the Waqf (the Islamic religious trust) to respect the status quo on the esplanade by allowing Jews to go there in groups of up to four people," police spokesman Shmuel Ben Ruby told AFP.
The police prevented visitors Thursday from entering the compound, which houses the al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, after a group of ultra-nationalists known as the Temple Mount Faithful clashed there with scores of Muslims.
However, the imam of al-Aqsa, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, denied there was any agreement with Israel on access to the area.
"We have not and have never had any accord with the police," he told AFP - OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP)
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