Israeli Occupation Shuts Down Al-Aqsa Mosque Amid Broader Crackdown in West Bank
According to local sources cited by the Palestinian Wafa news agency, Israeli occupation forces entered the mosque compound immediately after dawn prayers on Friday, forcibly removing those present and locking its entrances. Witnesses confirmed that the gates were then sealed shut, leaving no access for worshippers.
This total shutdown prevented Muslims from performing Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site. The closure coincides with Israel’s full lockdown of the occupied West Bank, imposed in the aftermath of its military aggression against Iran.
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Critics argue the timing and scope of the closure reflect a broader, calculated effort by the occupying force to assert deeper control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound—efforts that have intensified in recent years and escalated under the guise of security measures.
Aoun Bazbaz, the director of international affairs, diplomacy, and tourism at the Islamic Waqf in Al-Quds, expressed concern over the closure’s deeper implications. “The Israelis have claimed that the closure was to ‘protect the people’—but only Waqf employees have been allowed to enter al-Aqsa since,” he told Middle East Eye. “The real problem is, we’ve received no guarantees about when it will reopen. That uncertainty is deeply suspicious.”
Bazbaz warned that the regime was using the regional conflict as political cover. “There’s no doubt that Israel is using the current war conditions to impose new restrictions and create new facts on the ground,” he said. “While the world—and particularly the Islamic world—is focused on Gaza and Iran, Israel is quietly advancing its plans at al-Aqsa.”
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He added that long-standing efforts to divide the mosque compound are nearing completion. “For over 20 years, they’ve been working on dividing the mosque in terms of time and space—and 99% of that plan has now been implemented. The daytime hours are for raids and tourists. It’s become the new normal.”
Bazbaz also drew attention to increasing settler presence at the site, especially in the Bab al-Rahma section, which he said has been unofficially transformed into a place of Jewish worship. “Just yesterday, they were dancing there, thanking [National Security Minister] Ben-Gvir for what he’s done at al-Aqsa.”
Describing the rapid pace of recent changes, he noted, “The changes in the last six or seven months have been incredibly fast—so fast that even the media hasn’t fully covered what’s happening. I told my wife yesterday, based on what I’ve seen recently, I wouldn’t be surprised if they soon force worshippers to book appointments through an app just to pray at noon or in the evening.”
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“Now, with the war on Iran, we are seriously concerned that even more restrictions are coming,” he warned.
In tandem with the mosque closure, Israel on Friday shut down dozens of checkpoints across the occupied West Bank. Roadblocks were also erected between towns and villages, further isolating Palestinian communities. Notably, the Allenby Bridge—the primary exit point for Palestinians traveling abroad—was closed by Israeli authorities, further curbing movement.
Source: Agencies
