Israel Extends Closure of West Bank, Gaza

Israel Extends Closure of West Bank, Gaza

The Israeli army on Sunday announced that all crossing points of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip would remain closed until Wednesday for security reasons.

Meanwhile, Muslims prayed at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound while Jewish worshippers gathered for Passover’s "Priestly Blessing" at the Western Wall without incident on Sunday, after days of tension at the flashpoint Jerusalem site which led to cross-border exchanges of fire.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a Tweet that upon "the directives of Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and an operational situation assessment, the closure at the West Bank and Gaza would continue to midnight on Wednesday, April 12."

Gallant had recently ordered the tightening of security measures along all roads and residential communities in Israel, following an attack in the West Bank and security tensions on several fronts.

Meanwhile, Reuters said Ramadan prayers and Jewish Passover visits at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound passed without incident on Sunday.

Last week, the Al-Aqsa compound – sacred to Muslims and Jews – was at the center of a security crisis set off when Israeli police raided the mosque to dislodge what they said were youths barricaded inside armed with rocks and fireworks.

Footage of the raid, showing police beating worshippers, triggered a