Israel has announced that Friday prayers will not be allowed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque as tensions escalate following the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Israeli authorities said the decision was taken due to security concerns after retaliatory missile strikes launched by Iran in response to Israeli and U.S. military operations. Brigadier General Hisham Ibrahim, head of the Israeli Civil Administration, said the move aims to maintain security during the heightened regional situation.
According to officials, all major religious sites in occupied Jerusalem—including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—will remain closed to worshippers and tourists on Friday. People of all faiths will not be allowed to enter the holy places for the day.
The restrictions come after Israel and its close ally the United States launched military operations against Iran last week. Before the strikes, Oman had been mediating talks between Tehran and Washington and had indicated that a possible agreement was close, with Iran reportedly ready to limit its stockpile of enriched uranium used for nuclear weapons.
Following the attacks, Iran carried out retaliatory missile strikes on Israel. Reports say at least 12 people have been killed in Israel, while around 1,230 people have reportedly died in Iran during Israeli and U.S. military operations.
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Since the conflict began, Israeli authorities have tightened restrictions in occupied Jerusalem, allowing entry mainly to local residents and shopkeepers.
Senior Al-Aqsa imam Sheikh Ikrima Sabri strongly criticized the continued closure of the mosque, saying Israeli authorities frequently use security reasons to restrict access to the holy site.
Even before the recent war, restrictions had already been imposed. Last month, Israel allowed only 10,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to attend the first Friday prayer of ramazan at Al-Aqsa, despite the mosque complex having the capacity to accommodate nearly 500,000 worshippers.
