Muslims Flood Al-Aqsa Mosque After 40-Day Israeli Closure
A correspondent reporting from the scene confirmed that hundreds of Palestinian Muslims streamed into the Al-Haram al-Sharif compound in occupied East Jerusalem's Old City as the first light of morning broke. The moment was visibly emotional — scores of worshippers were seen weeping and dropping into prostrations of gratitude across the mosque's open courtyards as the dawn call to prayer echoed through the site.
The reopening marked the first congregational prayer held at the iconic mosque since Israeli authorities sealed all public access on February 28, a closure that coincided directly with Israel's strikes on Iran. During that period, entry was strictly limited to mosque staff and officials of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, while ordinary Palestinian worshippers were displaced to smaller mosques scattered throughout the city.
The shutdown carried historic consequences — authorities barred Eid al-Fitr prayers from being observed at Al-Aqsa this year, an unprecedented restriction not seen since Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.
The closure had not been without controversy. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir provocatively stormed the compound on April 6 while the mosque was still sealed to the public.
Al-Aqsa was not the only sacred site affected. Israeli authorities simultaneously shuttered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — among the most revered landmarks in all of Christendom — during the same extended lockdown period.
While the Israeli government had stretched its state of emergency declaration through mid-April, officials offered no clarity at the time on whether the mosque would remain inaccessible for the duration.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
