Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- Israel is reportedly planning to keep Al-Aqsa Mosque closed through the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr and beyond, after it has remained closed since the start of the Israeli-US assault on Iran, raising concerns that Israel may be seeking to impose further restrictions and control over the holy site.
Sources familiar with the mosque’s affairs told Middle East Eye that Israeli occupation authorities informed the Islamic Waqf, the body responsible for administering the site, of the decision in recent days.
Israel has closed Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, for 18 consecutive days citing the “security situation” amid the US-Israeli assault on Iran.
The move marks what Palestinians describe as an “unprecedented escalation,” as for the first time since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, both Taraweeh prayers and Itikaf have been banned at the mosque. Friday prayers have also been banned.
Palestine’s Jerusalem Governorate reported that the Israeli forces prevented worshipers from entering the mosque, citing a state of emergency.
The forces maintained a heavy presence around the mosque’s gates and across the Old City, preventing access to its courtyards.
Israeli forces had initially sealed off the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first day of the assault, forcing worshipers to leave and preventing the performance of the Isha and Taraweeh prayers, hours after the Israeli-US offensive on Iran began.
Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem and one of al-Aqsa’s senior imams, condemned the “unjustified” decision.
“It contravenes freedom of worship and suggests that the occupation authorities are asserting control over the mosque and stripping the Islamic Waqf of its authority to administer it.”
“The Muslim worshipers who associate Ramadan with praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque are very heartbroken by this closure,” said Mustafa Abu Sway, a Palestinian Islamic scholar and deputy head of the Islamic Waqf.
“If the issue is the safety of worshipers, then Al-Aqsa Mosque has massive subterranean halls that can host thousands of people,” Mr. Abu Sway added. “Our prayers are for a quick end of this war and for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East,” he said.
Alongside the mosque’s closure, Israel also restricted the entry of Palestinians into the holy site during the first days of Ramadan.
Palestinians cherish Al Aqsa, particularly during Ramadan, when they gather in large numbers to perform the nightly prayers unique to the holy month.
According to local sources, the streets of the Old City in occupied Jerusalem have appeared nearly empty of pedestrians, an unusual sight during the month of Ramadan, due to Israel’s strict measures.
Israeli forces have intensified their military presence at the gates of the Old City, setting up strict checkpoints and inspection points that have hindered the access of Jerusalem residents and visitors to the markets and inner neighborhoods, leading to a noticeable decline in movement.
Traders in the Old City say these measures have significantly affected commercial activity, particularly in markets that usually see heavy activity during Ramadan nights, as the streets have become relatively empty of shoppers and worshipers.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center confirmed taht Israeli forces installed checkpoints around the Old City and stopped visitors attempting to enter. Soldiers allowed entry only to residents of the Old City, effectively blocking many Jerusalemites from reaching the area.
The center also reported a severe economic downturn in the Old City markets. Shops that usually rely on the Ramadan season remained closed, and streets appeared largely empty due to Israeli restrictions.
There have been calls for Palestinians to head to the mosque and perform prayers at its gates if Israeli forces prevent entry, in an attempt to defy the Israeli ban.
Last week, eight Muslim-majority countries condemned the “unjustified” closure, saying Israel has “no sovereignty” over the revered site and must lift the restrictions immediately.
According to MEE, since the closure, no more than 25 Waqf staff members have been allowed inside the vast mosque complex per shift.
A source told MEE that Israeli authorities even rejected a request for an additional staff member from the manuscripts department to enter the site.
Police reportedly told the Waqf that if any additional employees were allowed in, Israeli settlers would be permitted to resume their daily raids into the mosque.
The source added that Waqf officials suspect Israeli forces have also installed cameras inside prayer halls within Al-Aqsa Mosque, including inside the Dome of the Rock, enabling constant surveillance of the site.
Sunday was the Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night in the Islamic calendar. Israel deployed hundreds of police to block routes to the mosque. However, Palestinian worshipers defied the Israeli closure with hundreds of Palestinian residents performing the Isha and Taraweeh prayers in nearby streets. Worshiprs also gathered in areas such as Bab al-Sahira Gate and Damascus Gate while the mosque itself remained empty.
Laylat al-Qadr holds special significance for Muslims, who traditionally spend the night in mosques praying, reading the Quran, and observing spiritual retreat until dawn. Last year, about 180,000 worshipers attended the night prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque.
Aouni Bazbaz, director of international affairs at the Islamic Waqf, told MEE earlier this month that the closure has raised concerns about long-term change.
“This has fuelled fears that what is presented as a temporary measure could gradually become a permanent or semi-permanent arrangement, particularly if people become accustomed to the restrictions or if patterns of access to the site are altered,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Arab League condemned Israel’s continued closure of Al-Aqsa in the strongest terms. The organization said preventing prayers and religious rituals at the mosque during Ramadan, especially during the final ten nights, constitutes a serious violation of international law and international humanitarian law.
The Arab League said the measures also violate the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa and described the restrictions as an unprecedented provocation to the feelings of nearly two billion Muslims worldwide and a direct assault on freedom of worship.
The organization stressed that Israel, as an occupying power, holds no sovereignty over the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including the eastern part of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
It also called on the international community, including the United Nations Security Council, to take firm action to compel Israel to halt its violations, lift restrictions on Palestinian access to Jerusalem, and respect freedom of worship at holy sites.
