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Gazans Enter Al-Aqsa after 7-Year Ban
10-08-2014
In a rare visit to Muslims’ third holiest site, hundreds of Gazan Muslims have kissed the ground of Al-Aqsa mosque, after being allowed to visit it for the first time since 2007.
“I haven't been here for 35 years. Everything has changed,” smiled Umm Dallaleh Fayyad, a woman in a black abaya and a vibrant blue headscarf, told Agence France Presse (AFP).
“It's like being in paradise.”
Getting permission by the Israel government to visit the holy site, Palestinian aged 60 and over kissed the ground of Al-Aqsa as soon as they arrived.
The permissions were granted over the past three days of `Eid Al-Adha starting on Sunday, October 5.
`Eid Al-Adha, or “Feast of Sacrifice”, marks the end of the Hajj season and is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations, together with `Eid Al-Fitr.
A financially-able Muslim sacrifices a single sheep or goat or shares with six others in sacrificing a camel or cow as an act of worship during the four-day `Eid Al-Adha celebrations.
The decision to allow access to the holy site was praised by Gisha, an Israeli NGO which calls for freedom of access and movement for Palestinians.
“This hasn't happened since 2007. Christians could leave (for religious holidays) but not Muslims,” said Gisha spokeswoman Shai Grunberg.
Jordan has been supervising Al-Aqsa Mosque and other endowments in Al-Quds since 1948.
A 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel recognizes Jordan's special supervisory role over holy sites in Al-Quds.
Al-Aqsa is the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during prayers] and it is the third holiest shrine after Al Ka`bah in Makkah and Prophet Muhammad's Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
Its significance has been reinforced by the incident of Al Isra'a and Al Mi'raj — the night journey from Makkah to Al-Quds and the ascent to the Heavens by Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him).
Catastrophic Situation
Gazans’ permission to Al-Aqsa mosque was a part of concessions Israel made after last summer's war in Gaza.
Israel has launched relentless airstrikes against Gaza on July 8 where more than 2,100 have been killed and thousands injured.
Out of 2,131 Palestinians who died in the latest fighting, 501 were children, said the United Nations.
About 70% of the children killed were under 12, according to the UN children’s agency, UNICEF.
The large scale of mass destruction in Gaza has left about 5,510 homes completely destroyed and about 31,000 partially damaged, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes that were caught up in the Israeli air strikes.
“It’s a catastrophic situation — we have nothing,” said Aziza, a woman in her 70s whose family home in the Nuseirat refugee camp was destroyed during the summer’s war between Hamas and Israel.
“We have nowhere to live and nowhere to evacuate to.”
A similar anguish was shared by Subhi Mahmoud, 59, of Beit Lahia who lost his house in the war.
“I’m renting, paying 700 shekels [$191] a month,” he told Haaretz.
“You have to understand that before the war, rent in Gaza was 300 shekels for an average house, that’s one or two rooms. ... Now it’s double. They want 700 or maybe 1,000 shekels. That seems like a small amount to you, but for Gazans, it’s a very large amount.”
With only six hours of electricity a day, Gazans have been pleading for normal life.
“Tell the Israelis that we want normal lives,” he pleaded. “We want to live — if not us, then our children.”
“I have nothing left,” added a woman who lost her home and half her family.
“I don’t want to return to Gaza. We’re suffocating, really suffocating. ... We feel like we’re in a big prison.”
“We also want to live,” she said. “Tell the Israelis we want to live.”
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