JERUSALEM, Oct 12 (AFP) - Israel is to restrict the entrance of worshippers to Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque compound during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan unless the Muslim authority in charge of the site agrees to fence off sections in danger of collapse, Israel army radio reported Tuesday.
Israeli officials have been trying to reach an agreement with the Muslim Waqf that an underground section of the compound known as Solomon's Stables should be cordonned off during the holiday because it is in danger of collapse.
If the Waqf refuses to comply, Israel will restrict the number of worshippers coming to mark the first Friday of the festival of Ramadan which starts later this week, the radio said.
Israeli police were not immediately available to confirm the report.
Three weeks ago, Israel's Interior Security Minister Gideon Ezra warned that parts of the mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City could collapse under the weight of the thousands of worshippers expected at the site during Ramadan.
Ezra said work to strengthen the mosque plaza, the third holiest site in Islam, should start immediately or Israel would limit access during Ramadan for safety reasons.
Ezra's comments spurred an angry outburst by the top Palestinian Muslim cleric Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, who accused Israel of trying to seize control of the disputed compound.
The Jordanian Religious Affairs Minister Ahmed Heleil, who heads a committee responsible for the maintenance of the compound, also dismissed the Israeli claims.
During the month-long festival which starts on October 14, more than 200,000 worshippers are expected to visit the Al Aqsa mosque compound.
The mosque compound, which is called al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) by Muslims, shelters the Dome of the Rock (Omar Mosque) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The site is also revered by Jews as it was once the site of the Jewish temple, the holiest shrine in Judaism, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.