Palestinians protest mosque access limit

JERUSALEM, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Palestinians say Israel is restricting their access to the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem during September's holy month of Ramadan.

Men over 50 and women over 45 are allowed free access to the mosque while younger men and women must have a special permit issued by Israeli security authorities, al-Alam reported Friday.

Israeli forces did agree to keep army checkpoints in the West Bank open longer to allow worshipers to go to the mosque and then take gifts to the nearly 11,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, al-Alam reported.

Al-Aqsa is the third most important mosque in Islam after Mecca and Medina.