Jerusalem is under siege... Al-Aqsa is closed, and Friday prayers are banned for the sixth time since 1967
On the final Friday of Ramadan, Jerusalem was remarkably silent. The Old City's streets were empty, with shops shut and barriers and soldiers stationed at gates and in narrow alleys. Normally bustling with thousands of worshippers during this holy day, the city was instead immersed in a deep silence, interrupted only by the voices of people who spread out their prayer mats in the streets and prayed at the closest possible spots.
The occupation authorities turned Jerusalem into a military zone by installing iron barriers at all the Old City gates and restricting entry to residents only. The gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque were entirely shut, preventing worshippers from entering.
Worshippers from Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories within Israel gathered to pray at the gates of the Old City, especially near Damascus Gate and Herod's Gate, as well as in the narrow alleyways of the besieged area. This was a protest against the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the prohibition on praying there.
Taraweeh prayers were held at the doorsteps of Al-Aqsa
For the fourth consecutive day, Jerusalem residents have been performing the Ishaa and Taraweeh prayers at the doorsteps of Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly near Herods Gate and nearby areas, as a protest against the closure of the mosque and being barred from entering it.
During these prayers, young men face pushing, harassment, and threats from the occupation forces surrounding them. Several arrests have also occurred in recent days.
The forces occasionally suppress worshippers by forcefully removing them from the area and insisting they stay at a designated spot.
For the sixth time since 1967, Friday prayers have been prohibited at Al-Aqsa Mosque
It should be noted that Al-Aqsa Mosque has been entirely closed by order of the occupation authorities, and Friday prayers have been banned there six times since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, according to experts.
• The first closure was on Friday, June 9, 1967, two days after the occupation of Jerusalem.
• The second closure was on Friday, July 14, 2017, following a shooting incident inside Al-Aqsa, when the occupation authorities attempted to install electronic gates at its entrances.
• The third closure was on Friday, June 13, 2025, coinciding with the 12-day Israeli-Iranian war.
• The fourth closure was on Friday, June 20, 2025, coinciding with the 12-day Israeli-Iranian war.
• The fifth closure was on Friday, March 6, 2026, due to the US-Israeli war against Iran.
• The sixth closure was on Friday, March 13, 2026, due to the US-Israeli war against Iran.
It is worth noting that in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the four Friday prayers during Ramadan were not held at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Islamic Waqf Council in Jerusalem decided to suspend prayers at the mosque as a preventive measure against COVID-19.
Eight Islamic countries reject the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In the same context, the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Islamic countries condemned Israel's ongoing closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque gates since February 28, reaffirming their rejection of these measures.
Their statement emphasized that the security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, as well as the discriminatory and arbitrary restrictions on other worship sites within the Old City, are a blatant breach of international law, international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of free access to places of worship.
The ministers reiterated their firm rejection and condemnation of these illegal and unjustified actions, condemning Israel's ongoing provocative conduct at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram al-Sharif and towards worshippers. They emphasized that Israel does not have sovereignty over the occupied city of Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The ministers reaffirmed that the entire 144-dunum area of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram al-Sharif is solely a place of worship for Muslims. They also emphasized that the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, which is part of the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, holds the exclusive legal authority over managing Al-Aqsa Mosque and controlling access to it.
The ministers urged Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately stop closing the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, to avoid obstructing worshippers' access, to lift restrictions on entry to the Old City of Jerusalem, and to end any interference with Muslim access to the mosque.
They also urged the international community to take a strong stance and pressure Israel to stop its ongoing violations and illegal actions against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as its disrespect for the sanctity of these sacred places.
Expulsion orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque continue
Despite the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque and restrictions on access, occupation authorities still issue bans against Palestinians from Jerusalem and territories within Israel, either through interrogation summons or WhatsApp messages.
The center documented 11 expulsion orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque in recent days, reflecting the ongoing policy of restricting Palestinians and the continued practices of repression.
