No Muslims will be allowed to enter the holy site for one of the main Islamic holidays for the first time since 1967
The Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest Muslim sites in Jerusalem, has been kept closed by the Israeli authorities, despite Muslims all over the world marking Eid al-Fitr, the final Friday of Ramadan.
The compound was closed over the Iran war, and worshipers have not been allowed to mark the holiday at the site for the first time since 1967.
Scores of people gathered in Jerusalem on Friday to pray, but their attempts to approach the gates of the Old City were met with tear gas from the Israeli security forces stationed at checkpoints, footage from the scene shows.
Israel restricted access to the Old City, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, citing security concerns on February 28, when it launched an attack against Iran jointly with the US.
The mosque remains off limits as the conflict enters its fourth week. Earlier in March, a group of eight predominantly Muslim nations – Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – issued a joint statement condemning the closure.
“Security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, coupled with discriminatory and arbitrary access restrictions to the other places of worship in the Old City, constitute a flagrant violation of international law,” the group said, stressing that Israel has “no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”
With the Easter season rapidly approaching, Israeli-enforced security measures in the Old City put Christian holidays at risk as well. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest site in Christianity, remains off-limits, prompting concerns over the Holy Fire ceremony, a major Orthodox event held annually on Holy Saturday. This year, the ceremony falls on April 11, and it is still unclear whether Christian hierarchs and worshipers will be allowed into the church.
The Russian Orthodox Church has spoken out about the restrictions, expressing hope that the church closure will not disrupt the transfer of the Holy Fire. Failure to obtain the Holy Fire is regarded among Orthodox Christians as a bad omen, and potentially a sign that Armageddon is approaching.
