As ceasefire takes hold, ordinary life goes on in Israel and the Palestinian Territories

As we made our way towards the Dome of the Rock, a voice called out from behind us: “Assalamualaikum! Singapore! Are you from Singapore? Are you Muslim?”

- Hariz Baharudin Correspondent

JERUSALEM As we made our way towards the Dome of the Rock, a voice called out from behind us: "Assalamualaikum! Singapore! Are you from Singapore? Are you Muslim?" At first, we ignored it, eager to reach the sacred cave below the golden dome and mindful of the many stops and questions we three Singaporean reporters had already endured from security officers that morning.

But the voice grew louder, and a bald man in jeans and a pale shirt stepped into our path, blocking the way forward. Unlike the armed guards who patrol the Old City, he carried no weapon, only an eager expression that disarmed us before his words did.

We reached for our red passports, ready with polite answers - a habit after days of identity checks at every turn, from the crowded alleys near Damascus Gate, where Israeli police maintain a constant presence at one of the Old City's busiest entrances, to Ben Gurion Airport where we were subject to stern scrutiny.

Then his face lit up. "Ah, Singapore!" he exclaimed, clasping our hands in both of his.

He introduced himself simply as Basheer, 37, an Arab-Israeli and one of the many caretakers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and hurriedly scrolled through his phone to show us a picture.

It was of him standing beside Singapore's former mufti, Dr Fatris Bakaram, whom he had met when attending a wedding in Singapore about five years ago.

That chance connection turned into a full-blown conversation spanning mosques, familiar names, Waterloo Street and ondeh-ondeh kuih, Mr Basheer's favourite Singaporean dessert.

At that moment, the tension that we had come to expect seemed to dissolve.

The friendliness of a stranger, offered without question or suspicion, was a quiet act of faith in a region where so much has been lost in conflict.

A FRAGILE CALM IN JERUSALEM

Beyond the mosque's courtyard, the holy city feels caught between stillness and strain.