Palestinian Shopkeepers Ordered to Close Near Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound During Jewish Holiday, Report Says

Dozens of Palestinian shopkeepers in Jerusalem's Old City were ordered to close their businesses to allow visits by Jewish worshippers to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, according to a report by Anadolu Agency.

The report said Israeli forces entered the site, known to Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, as part of the holiday period, during which access arrangements at the compound are frequently a source of tension.

Anadolu Agency's report did not specify the exact number of shops affected or the duration of the closures, nor did it include comment from Israeli authorities regarding the shop closure orders.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, located in Jerusalem's Old City, is administered under a longstanding arrangement in which Jordan's Waqf authority oversees Islamic religious affairs at the site while Israel controls overall security access. Visits by Jewish groups to the compound, particularly during Jewish holidays, have repeatedly triggered friction with Palestinian worshippers and merchants in the surrounding area.

The report did not detail whether any confrontations or arrests occurred in connection with Monday's visit.