Al-Aqsa Mosque remains shut down by Israeli for fifth week
The continued closure forms part of a broader policy by Israel to impose a new reality in Al-Aqsa and asserting full control over the mosque.
For the fifth week in a row, Israeli occupation forces have kept Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem closed, preventing thousands of Palestinians from performing Friday prayers under the pretext of emergency and security concerns amid the ongoing war with Iran.
On Friday, occupation authorities imposed strict military measures around the Old City, closed its entrances, deployed checkpoints, and completely barred access to the mosque, while heavily deploying soldiers in the area.
Eyewitnesses reported that Palestinians were unable to enter the Old City or approach Al-Aqsa, forcing them to pray in nearby streets and neighborhoods amid ongoing restrictions.
The continued closure forms part of a broader policy of tightening control over Jerusalem and its holy sites, aimed at imposing a new reality in Al-Aqsa and asserting full control over the mosque.
Official and religious authorities warned of the serious implications of this ongoing closure, describing it as a blatant violation of freedom of worship and a dangerous escalation that requires urgent international intervention.
Meanwhile, Israeli groups advocating for the so-called “Temple” continue to incite raids into Al-Aqsa during the upcoming Passover, calling for the mosque to be opened for sacrifices between April 2 and April 9.
Community leaders in the holy city have called on residents to gather at checkpoints and surrounding areas in an effort to challenge the restrictions and press for the reopening of the mosque.
On Tuesday Pakistan, along with seven other countries, condemned the restrictions imposed by Israel on the freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians in occupied Jerusalem.
Since Israel and the United States started a war with Iran on Feb 28, Israeli authorities have closed access to Jerusalem’s holy sites over security concerns — Al Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians and the Western Wall for Jews.
In a joint statement alongside the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, condemned and rejected the continued restrictions imposed by Israel on the freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians in occupied Jerusalem.
The restrictions have included preventing Muslim worshippers from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al-Sharif, as well as preventing “the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass”.
“These continued Israeli measures constitute a flagrant violation of international law … and represent an infringement on the unrestricted right of access to places of worship,” the joint statement said.