Israel Bans Friday Prayers at Al Aqsa, Four Weeks in a Row
JAKARTA - Israeli authorities continue to ban Muslims from performing Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, for the fourth consecutive week, with the area remaining closed since late February 2026 under emergency policies related to the war with Iran.
Israeli police closed the gates of the mosque and deployed troops throughout the Old City of Jerusalem to prevent worshippers from entering the complex.
The closure was carried out after the US-Israeli raid on Iran, with the excuse that the instructions of the Home Front Command prohibited large crowds.
Since then, worship in the mosque has been limited to guards and members of the Islamic Waqf that manages the site.
Israeli authorities also closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most important holy sites for Christians.
A number of witnesses to Anadolu stated that the police prevented Palestinians from performing prayers on the streets near the Old City walls, including on Salah al-Din Street (Salahuddin).
Appeals circulated in Jerusalem for worshipers to worship as close to Al-Aqsa as possible due to the closure. However, Palestinians chose to perform prayers in small mosques throughout the city.
Previously on Wednesday (25/3), the Israeli government extended the state of emergency until mid-April, although it is not clear whether the closure of the mosque will last until that time.
Israel closed Al-Aqsa after the start of the war with Iran on February 28 on security grounds, while Iran launched a retaliatory attack in the form of missiles and drones targeting Israel and US interests in the region as a form of self-defense.
Israeli authorities also banned Eid prayers at the site this year, which is the first time since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967.
Despite criticism from Arab and Muslim countries, Israeli authorities have not reopened the mosque. A number of worshipers in East Jerusalem consider the closure to be unfounded and politically motivated.