Israeli occupation authorities continue to close the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers for the 36th consecutive day, citing a "state of emergency" and security conditions. This move marks the longest closure since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967.
اضافة اعلان
The occupation authorities are utilizing this pretext to tighten their control over Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid escalating popular calls from Jerusalemites to mobilize toward the nearest military checkpoints and barriers in an attempt to break the siege and force its reopening.
For the ninth time since 1967, the occupation has shuttered the mosque on a Friday. Its courtyards, prayer halls, and corridors remained empty of worshippers, except for a small number of Islamic Waqf employees. Yesterday marked the fifth consecutive Friday of the closure.
In the streets of Jerusalem, Palestinians from the city and the 1948 territories performed prayers on roads, sidewalks, and alleys—at the closest points they could reach despite restrictions and harassment.
Large numbers of occupation forces deployed across Jerusalem, particularly near the walls and gates of the Old City, preventing prayers facing the walls and chasing worshippers from one location to another with force. Conversely, hundreds managed to pray on Salah al-Din Street, while others gathered inside the Nablus Street bus station.
Special units of the occupation police later stormed the Nablus Street prayer gathering and arrested the Imam after the conclusion of the prayer.
Meanwhile, extremist "Temple Groups" are exploiting the Hebrew Passover holiday—which began on April 2 and continues until April 9—to incite incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and call for "animal sacrifices" inside its compounds.
Official and religious bodies have warned of the gravity of the continued closure, describing it as a blatant violation of the freedom of worship and a dangerous escalation that necessitates urgent international intervention to halt these measures.
(Wafa News Agency)
