The US and Israel are “actively working” to strip Jordan of its historic custodianship of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, and are pursuing a new arrangement that would see the management of the revered Muslim site closely align with Israeli interests, multiple sources have told Middle East Eye.

US, Jordanian and Palestinian officials, as well as western and Gulf Arab sources, told MEE that under the plan, championed by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has no official role in the administration, and the US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, the authority of the Jordanian-backed Islamic Waqf would abruptly end and a new body created by the Israeli government would declare the Al-Aqsa Mosque a “multi-faith centre”.

According to the officials, all of whom requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, the “new arrangement” would grant Jews “equal access” to the Muslim site and formally allow large-group Jewish prayer.