Israel has imposed a full closure of the occupied Palestinian territory of West Bank, announcing that no one will be allowed in or out for 48 hours. Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, made the move amid reports of possible protests by Palestinians around the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem after Friday prayers. Only women and men over the age of 50 were allowed to enter the mosque, and hundreds of young men prayed at the gates of the Old City after being denied entry. [Read the full article]