Occupation decides to close holy sites in Jerusalem and injuries by army fire in the West Bank

The Israeli occupation authorities announced strict security measures to close all holy sites in occupied Jerusalem during the current weekend. The occupation police claimed in a statement that this decision comes for security reasons in light of the current tensions in the region, noting that worshippers and visitors of all religions will be denied entry without exception.

This Israeli escalation comes at a sensitive time, coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan, which usually witnesses tens of thousands of Palestinians flocking to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Friday and Taraweeh prayers. Since the beginning of the recent aggression, the occupation forces have imposed strict restrictions, preventing entry to the Old City, and limiting movement there to local residents and shop owners only.

In the context of field attacks in the West Bank, medical sources reported that a young Palestinian man with special needs was injured by occupation army fire in the village of Kharbatha Bani Harith, west of Ramallah. The Palestinian Red Crescent explained that its teams dealt with the young man's lower limb injury and transferred him to the hospital for necessary treatment after large forces stormed the village.

Kharbatha Bani Harith village witnessed violent confrontations following the storming, as occupation forces heavily fired live ammunition and tear gas canisters at citizens. Local sources confirmed that Israeli military reinforcements entered the area, leading to clashes with young men who tried to confront the storming with their bare chests.

In Tulkarm Governorate, north of the West Bank, ambulance crews received a second injury by live ammunition in the feet from the occupation army at the Shufa military checkpoint. These injuries occur almost daily near the apartheid wall and military checkpoints, where the occupation targets Palestinian workers trying to reach their workplaces.

Field reports indicate that the West Bank has been experiencing an unprecedented military escalation since October 2023, as the occupation has intensified its incursions, killings, and arrests. These operations are accompanied by rampant settlement expansion and forced displacement policies targeting the Palestinian presence in various governorates and villages.

The closure of holy sites in Jerusalem represents a blatant violation of freedom of worship and increases popular tension in the occupied territories. Human rights organizations continue to warn of the repercussions of these measures, which aim to isolate the holy city and change the existing historical and legal reality under flimsy security pretexts.

No worshipper or visitor will be allowed entry, regardless of their religion.