Al-Aqsa Mosque closed…Prayers not absent
The occupation authorities closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque this Friday morning, following the declaration of a "state of emergency" in the country, based on instructions issued by the "Home Front."
After the dawn prayer, occupation forces stormed the mosque and forced worshippers to immediately leave the prayer rooms and courtyards, while keeping Islamic Endowment employees inside.
All gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque were also closed, with the exception of the Al-Silsileh Gate, which the occupation authorities allowed only Endowment employees to use for entry and exit.
Despite this strict closure, the Islamic Endowment confirmed that the call to prayer will continue as usual, and that prayers will be held inside the mosque, including Friday prayers today, in the presence of its employees.
This development came hours after Israel announced it had launched an attack on Iran, in an operation codenamed "Rising Lion," which it said aimed to "eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat." This coincided with the declaration of a "state of emergency" in the country, which included the sounding of air raid sirens, the issuance of instructions to halt all activities, the evacuation of Ben Gurion Airport, the cancellation of flights, and the closure of airspace.
This closure is not the first of its kind at Al-Aqsa Mosque, as per instructions from the "Home Front Command and under the pretext of an emergency." On October 1, 2024, the occupation authorities closed the mosque from after the afternoon prayer until dawn the following day, following the launch of dozens of missiles by Iran. Al-Aqsa also witnessed an unprecedented closure in March 2020, which continued until the end of May of the same year, amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, the closure was decided by the Endowment Department to protect public health.
