Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- Israel has barred Muslim worshipers from accessing Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque since the start of the ongoing Israeli-US assault on Iran, while allowing settler incursions into Islam’s third-holiest site, raising concerns over Israeli plans to impose further restrictions and tighten control over the compound.
Israel has closed Al-Aqsa Mosque for 38 consecutive days citing the “security situation” amid the US-Israeli assault on Iran.
What We Know?
The move marks what Palestinians describe as an “unprecedented escalation,” as the prolonged shutdown, including during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, was the first of its kind since 1967.
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 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 and the rest of the days, 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 that 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.
Defying Israeli Ban
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.
However, Israeli forces prevent worshipers from performing the prayers near the mosque.
“Unjustified” Closure
Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, is at the heart of Israeli violations. For years, Israel has imposed repeated restrictions on Muslim access while enabling a growing settler presence.
Recently, eight Muslim-majority countries condemned the “unjustified” closure, saying Israel has “no sovereignty” over the revered site and must lift the restrictions immediately.
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.
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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.
Extending the Closure
Israel has reportedly extended the closure of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque until at least 15 April. Middle East Eye (MEE) has learned from sources familiar with the mosque’s affairs that Israeli officials informed the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian-appointed body that administers the site, of the extension.
It remains unclear whether the mosque will reopen after 15 April or if the closure will be prolonged further.
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.
“Judaisation Measures”
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.
Amid the Israeli closure, speaking to Tucker Carlson, Avraham Burg, former speaker of the Knesset and interim president of Israel, stated that there have been at least five attempts by Israeli extremists to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock since 1967 in an interview published lately. The attempts aim to replace the mosque with the so-called “Third Temple”.
The Jerusalem Governorate said the continued closure marked an “unprecedented escalation” and an attempt to “impose dangerous Judaisation measures” at Al-Aqsa.
“All Israeli measures, including the comprehensive closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law and international resolutions, as well as a clear violation of the status quo governing the holy sites,” it said.
Last week, Israeli settlers filmed themselves attempting to bring goats into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for a Passover sacrifice. Police reportedly arrested the settlers before they reached the compound.
According to the Jerusalem Governorate, there have been seven documented attempts during this year’s Passover holiday to bring sacrificial animals into the compound. The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that this marks the highest number of such attempts recorded since 1967.
Allowing Settler Raids
Although Israel also prevented Israeli settlers from accessing the site during this period, there are now concerns that settlers may be allowed to storm Al-Aqsa and perform rituals to mark Passover (1-9 April) as they did in 2025.
A video circulated on social media shows a group of Israeli settlers being escorted to the Al-Buraq Wall plaza by a police officer. Al-Buraq Wall, known in Judaism as the Western Wall, is the western portion of the mosque and part of the complex's outer structure.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, a special exception was made on Sunday for Rabbi Eliezer Berland, a convicted sex offender.
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Settlers were able to participate in the traditional priestly blessing ceremony as part of the Passover holiday, held in a covered space by the Western Wall plaza.
It added that the wall was subjected to limited public gatherings to 50 settlers because of the Iran assault. However, on Sunday, the High Court of Justice was asked to expand this number to 100.
Abu Ubaida Calls to Defend Al-Aqsa
The spokesperson of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, has called for widespread protests across Palestine and around the world, urging people to mobilize in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinian detainees and hostages.
Abu Ubaida placed the main focus on public action. He called on Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and 1948-occupied territories to march toward Al-Aqsa Mosque. He also urged people across the Arab and Muslim world, as well as international supporters, to take to the streets in protest.
He stressed that any harm to Al-Aqsa or Palestinian detainees would not go unanswered, regardless of the cost. He described the issue as a red line and a central point of unity for Palestinians.
The Hamas spokesperson sharply criticized international double standards. He said global powers continue to demand concessions from Palestinians while ignoring Israel's ongoing violations on the ground.
