Israeli occupation authorities continue to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied Jerusalem for the 37th consecutive day, citing "emergency status" and security conditions.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement on Sunday, the Jerusalem Governorate said that the occupation authorities are exploiting this pretext to tighten their control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Al-Haram Al-Sharif). This comes at a time of escalating popular and Jerusalemite calls to mobilize at the nearest points and military checkpoints surrounding the mosque in an attempt to break the siege and force its reopening.
For the ninth time since 1967, the occupation has closed Al-Aqsa Mosque on a Friday. Its courtyards, prayer halls, and corridors were empty of worshippers, except for a small number of employees from the Islamic Waqf Department. Last Friday marked the fifth consecutive Friday of the complete closure.
In the streets of Jerusalem, Palestinians from the city and the 1948 territories performed prayers on roads, sidewalks, and in alleys at the closest points they could reach, amidst bans and harassment.
Large numbers of occupation forces were deployed throughout Jerusalem, particularly in areas near the Old City walls and gates. They prevented prayers facing the walls and chased worshippers from one location to another using force and repression. Despite this, hundreds managed to perform prayers on Salah Al-Din Street and inside the Nablus Street bus station.
Meanwhile, extremist "Temple Groups" are exploiting the Jewish Passover holiday—which began on April 2nd and continues until April 9th—to incite incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and call for "slaughtering sacrifices" inside its premises.
Official and religious authorities have warned of the danger posed by the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing it as a flagrant violation of the freedom of worship and a dangerous escalation that requires urgent international intervention to stop these measures. — (Petra)
