Police preserve mosque gates closed, deploy forces throughout Previous Metropolis citing Iran warfare ’emergency measures’
Palestinians carry out Friday prayer on the streets in East Jerusalem on March 27, 2026 as Israeli forces proceed to impose restriction to Palestinians from coming into the Dome of the Rock of Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. PHOTO: ANADOLU
Israeli authorities continued to bar Muslims from Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest mosque in Islam, for the fourth consecutive week, retaining the location closed since late February underneath emergency measures linked to the warfare with Iran.
Israeli police stored the mosque’s gates closed and deployed forces throughout Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis to stop worshippers from coming into the compound.
Authorities closed the location after the warfare started, citing Dwelling Entrance Command directives banning massive gatherings. Since then, prayers on the mosque have been restricted to solely guards and members of the Islamic Waqf, which oversees the location. Israeli authorities additionally closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, certainly one of Christianity’s most essential holy websites.
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Witnesses informed Anadolu that police prevented Palestinians from praying within the streets close to the Previous Metropolis partitions, together with Salah al-Din Avenue.
Calls had circulated in Jerusalem urging worshippers to hope as shut as doable to Al-Aqsa on account of its continued closure. Palestinians have as a substitute been praying in smaller mosques throughout the town.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli authorities prolonged the state of emergency till mid-April, although it remained unclear whether or not the mosque would stay closed till then.
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Israel closed Al-Aqsa after the beginning of its warfare with Iran on February 28, citing safety considerations, whereas Iran has launched retaliatory missile and drone assaults focusing on Israel and what it describes as US pursuits within the area.
Authorities additionally prevented Eidul Fitr prayers on the web site this 12 months for the primary time since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967.
Regardless of condemnations from Arab and Muslim international locations, Israeli authorities have refused to reopen the mosque. Worshippers in East Jerusalem stated the closure was unjustified and politically motivated.
