WASHINGTON, February 29: After a far-right minister suggested preventing Palestinians from the occupied West Bank from worshiping at the Al-Aqsa mosque complex in Jerusalem during Ramadan, the United States urged Israel to provide Muslims permission to worship there yesterday.

Using the Hebrew name for the holiest place in Judaism, "As it pertains to Al-Aqsa, we continue to urge Israel to facilitate access to Temple Mount for peaceful worshippers during Ramadan consistent with past practice," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

"That's not only the right thing to do; it's not just about giving people the religious freedom they rightfully deserve; it's also a matter that directly affects Israel's security," the speaker stated.

"Israel's security interest does not lie in inflaming tensions in the West Bank or throughout the region."

Depending on the lunar calendar, Israel has been evaluating how to handle prayer in Jerusalem during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10 or 11.

In reaction to a significant strike by Hamas inside Israel on October 7, Israel is conducting a persistent military operation in the Gaza Strip during the month of fasting.

To mark the beginning of Ramadan, Hamas has called for a widespread protest on Al-Aqsa.

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, made a televised address on Wednesday saying, "We call on our people in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the occupied interior (Israel) to travel to Al-Aqsa from the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan, in groups or alone, to pray there to break the siege on it."

Itamar Ben Gvir, the Israeli minister of national security, declared last week that West Bank Palestinians "should not be allowed" to enter Jerusalem for Ramadan prayers.

He declared, "We cannot take chances," and went on, "We cannot allow Hamas celebrations on the Temple Mount and hold women and children captive in Gaza."

Ben Gvir is the leader of a hard-right group that supports Jewish ownership of the site.

Before Ramadan starts, the US has been pushing for an agreement wherein Israel would stop its attacks in the Gaza Strip and release the captives that were kidnapped on October 7.

According to the most recent statistics released by the health ministry in the region controlled by Hamas, the Israeli military operation in Gaza has killed at least 29,954 individuals, the majority of them women and children.

According to an AFP count of official Israeli estimates, it was launched in retaliation for Hamas's onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, which claimed the lives of some 1,160 persons, the majority of them civilians.

End//voice7news.tv