KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia strongly condemns Israel's closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. "Malaysia strongly condemn Israel's closure of the Al-Aqsa mosque and denying the rights of the Muslims to perform Friday prayers," he said in his Twitter account on Sunday. Israeli cancelled Friday prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque after three Palestinians and two Israeli police officers were killed in a gun battle at the mosque compound. Al Jazeera reported that following the incident, Israeli police cleared the Al-Aqsa Mosque and closed it to the public. "This is the first time since 1969 that Muslim worshippers are banned from performing Friday prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque," it said.

Source: thestar July 16, 2017 05:03 UTC