Israel reopens Golden Gate of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

RAMALLAH, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf said on Tuesday that the Israeli police reopened the Golden Gate of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was closed on Monday for several hours.

According to Firas al-Dibs, public relations officer of the Islamic Waqf, the Israeli police removed the chains on the gate, and released five Palestinians who were banned from access into Al-Aqsa Mosque for one to two weeks.

In his address at the Golden Gate after its reopening, Shaikh Mohammad Hussein, mufti of Palestine, cricitized Israel's "daily violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Al-Aqsa Mosque has been administered by Jordanian Islamic Waqf since 1948.