Israeli occupation forces continue to keep Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem closed and prevent worshippers from accessing it for the 29th consecutive day, citing security conditions related to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
This coincides with the continued isolation of Jerusalem’s Old City from its surroundings through military checkpoints and the widespread deployment of occupation forces across its neighborhoods, with Palestinians barred from entering except for residents.
In this context, occupation authorities imposed strict restrictions that prevented the holding of Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli police were heavily deployed at the entrances to the Old City and at the mosque’s gates, denying Palestinians entry and forcing hundreds to pray in nearby streets.
This ongoing closure, which began at the end of last February, comes amid unprecedented security measures coinciding with the declaration of a state of emergency.
The restrictions have not been limited to Muslims but have also extended to Christian holy sites, as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre remains closed to worshippers and visitors, reflecting a broader policy of isolating the holy city from its surroundings.
In the streets of Jerusalem, occupation forces pursued worshippers attempting to gather on Salah al-Din Street and in areas adjacent to the Old City walls, using force to disperse them and compel them to leave public spaces, in an effort to prevent any form of group prayer outside the mosque grounds.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that only mosque guards and employees of the Islamic endowments authority were allowed to be present inside the mosque’s courtyards. Prayers are being held inside covered prayer halls with very limited numbers, while the outer courtyards remain completely empty of worshippers who traditionally flock to the mosque on Fridays.
WAFA
