United Nations Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov warned on Monday that a solution was needed by Friday to the Jerusalem mosque crisis, which threatens to have "potential catastrophic costs well beyond the walls of the Old City."
"It is extremely important that a solution to the current crisis be found by Friday," he told reporters after briefing the UN Security Council behind closed doors. "The dangers on the ground will escalate if we go through another cycle of Friday prayer without a resolution to this current crisis."
Tensions have escalated since Israel installed metal detectors at entry points to Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem after two police guards were shot dead by gunmen there on July 14.