PLO official falsely claims Israel denied only Palestinians access to Temple Mount
Fatah-run Awdah TV host: "The occupation (i.e., Israel) continues to close the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque for this the 17th consecutive day, and the Palestinians are prohibited from performing the prayers... Do you think the Israeli claim is reasonable regarding the prohibition on Palestinian worshippers reaching their Islamic holy places in Jerusalem?"
PLO Executive Committee member and Palestinian Liberation Front Secretary-General Wasel Abu Yusuf: "Without a doubt, there is no logic in this. If so, why do the settlers (i.e. Israeli Jews) go to the Al-Buraq Wall (i.e., the Western Wall of the Temple Mount)? … I think these are just excuses to break the willpower of the Palestinian people."
[Fatah-run Awdah TV, Facebook page, March 16, 2026]
Israel closed the Temple Mount due to security concerns of rocket fire during the war with Iran. The ban on public gatherings at holy sites and elsewhere applies to all.