During Iktikaf Period, Israel Continues Closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jewish Extremists Seek to Divide Mosque

Israeli occupation forces have continued to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex for eleven consecutive days, preventing Palestinian Muslim worshippers from praying at the holy site.

The occupation authorities justify the closure on security grounds, citing tensions with Iran. The ongoing closure during the final ten days of Ramadan represents a dangerous precedent. This marks the first time since the 1967 occupation of Jerusalem that Tarawih and Iktikaf prayers have been prohibited at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Jerusalem Governorate has warned of escalating dangerous incitement led by the extremist Temple Mount organisation against Al-Aqsa Mosque amid the ongoing closure.

Governorate officials emphasise that the current situation cannot be regarded as a temporary security measure, as claimed by the occupation authorities, but rather represents a political and ideological agenda aimed at changing the existing religious, historical, and legal status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.

Previously, the Jerusalem Governorate issued a stern warning regarding a wave of dangerous incitement launched by Jewish extremist “Temple” organisations. Such provocations have intensified sharply amid Israeli occupation policies that have continuously closed Al-Aqsa Mosque for ten consecutive days.

In an official statement on Monday (9 March 2026), the Jerusalem Governorate affirmed that the current situation is part of a systematic political and ideological scheme. The Zionist objective is to alter the religious, historical, and legal reality at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied Jerusalem.