The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem has reopened to Palestinian worshippers following a 40-day closure imposed by Israeli authorities. Video verified by Al Jazeera showed Palestinians streaming through its gates early on Thursday morning, with approximately 3,000 attendees at morning prayers.
Access had been completely prohibited or restricted to a few dozen faithful at Christian, Jewish, and Muslim holy sites since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28. Israel frequently imposes such restrictions, particularly targeting Palestinian worshippers, as part of its broader security measures in the region.
The Islamic Waqf Department in occupied Jerusalem confirmed the reopening of the mosque’s doors to all worshippers from dawn, though it provided no further details. Israeli authorities announced the opening of the mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, attributing it to what they called “updated instructions from the Israeli Home Front Command.”
Israeli police cited intensive security reinforcements, including hundreds of officers and border guards in the alleys of Jerusalem’s Old City and roads leading to the holy sites, purportedly aimed at “securing visitors.” Jerusalem and its sacred sites have faced strict security measures and frequent closures during the regional conflict over the past six weeks.
These restrictions subdued Lent, Passover, and Ramadan celebrations for many at some of the holiest sites for Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Authorities also prevented Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa this year—the first such ban since Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967. However, the bans were lifted just in time for Orthodox Christians, who celebrate Easter on Sunday, a week after Catholic and Protestant observances.
Israeli raids have continued across the occupied West Bank, highlighting ongoing tensions. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces detained a woman and assaulted a man during an early Thursday raid in Nablus. Separately, the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry stated that Israeli forces fatally shot a Palestinian man near the village of Tayasir in the northern West Bank on Wednesday night.
The ministry identified the victim as 28-year-old Alaa Khaled Mohammed Sbeih, who “was shot and killed” by Israeli forces, while the Israeli military claimed an off-duty soldier fired at a stone-thrower. Wafa added that six young men were detained in a raid on Tayasir village, and in Ya’bad, Israeli troops stormed several homes at dawn, destroying the contents of three houses.
Source: www.aljazeera.com