Al-Aqsa Mosque Remains Closed Seventeen Days

The sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem has remained closed for seventeen consecutive days amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, compounded by the involvement of the United States. The closure persisted on Sunday, coinciding with the holy night of Lailat al-Qadr, traditionally a peak period for worshippers to engage in prayer and spiritual retreat, known as i’tikaf.

Every year, during the last ten nights of Ramadan, particularly on the 27th night, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform prayers and i’tikaf. This year, however, the mosque and its expansive courtyards are enveloped in an unusual silence. Israeli patrols are stationed throughout the mosque’s alleys, forcing worshippers to pray in nearby open areas rather than within the mosque itself.

The Palestine Information Center reported that this is the first instance since Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 that worshippers have been barred from praying and performing i’tikaf at Al-Aqsa for sixteen consecutive days during the final ten days of Ramadan. Even the last Friday prayer of Ramadan was affected, with the mosque remaining closed.

The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate stated that Israeli forces have effectively turned the Old City into a militarised zone, deploying hundreds of troops around it. As a result, residents of Jerusalem conducted their Isha and Tarawih prayers in areas such as Bab al-Sahira and Bab al-Amud, due to the inaccessibility of the mosque.

Timeline of Al-Aqsa Mosque Closure

In response to the prolonged closure, the Arab League issued a strong condemnation, describing the move as a blatant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the legal and historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque / Haram al-Sharif. The League emphasised that these actions are an unprecedented provocation against the feelings of over two billion Muslims worldwide and undermine the freedom of worship and unimpeded access to religious sites.

The Arab League further reiterated that Israel has no sovereignty over the Palestinian territories it has occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites. It called upon the United Nations Security Council and the international community to adopt a firm stance to halt Israel’s illegal practices, lift restrictions on Palestinian access in Jerusalem, and ensure respect for religious freedom.