Details of Israel's 37-Day Closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque

The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments (Awqaf) issued a comprehensive report today, Sunday, documenting the escalation of Israeli violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Ibrahimi Mosque, and other places of worship during March. The report emphasized that this period witnessed an unprecedented escalation in the scale and nature of the attacks, particularly as they coincided with the holy month of Ramadan.

The report, carried by the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), stated that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was completely and continuously closed for 37 consecutive days under the pretext of a "state of emergency" related to the war. Worshippers were completely prevented from entering its courtyards and prayer areas, a dangerous precedent that extended to Friday prayers, the last ten days of Ramadan, and even the Eid al-Fitr prayer.

According to the report, this closure was accompanied by a heavy deployment of occupation forces around the mosque and the gates of the Old City, as well as the widespread closure of shops. This led to a near-total paralysis of daily life, part of a policy aimed at isolating the Al-Aqsa Mosque and imposing a new reality that undermines its religious and historical significance.