For the tenth day.. The occupation continues to close Al-Aqsa and tightens the siege on the Old City of Jerusalem

The Israeli occupation authorities continue to impose a comprehensive closure on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque for the tenth consecutive day, preventing worshippers from accessing its courtyards and performing prayers. The occupation's security apparatuses cite the declared state of emergency following the ongoing Israeli-American attack on Iran, which began on February 28th, leading to a complete disruption of religious life in the mosque.

In parallel with the closure of the mosque, occupation forces continue their tight siege on the Old City in occupied Jerusalem, preventing anyone who does not hold a residential address within its walls from entering. This measure has isolated the holy city from its surroundings and deprived tens of thousands of Palestinians of their right to access their holy sites during the days of the blessed month of Ramadan.

For its part, the Islamic-Christian Commission for Supporting Jerusalem and Holy Sites affirmed that this closure represents a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in the city's history. The commission clarified in a statement that the occupation seeks, through these measures, to impose a new spatial and temporal reality, exploiting regional circumstances to pass Judaization schemes targeting the identity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The commission pointed out that preventing Tarawih prayers and the five daily prayers directly affects the sanctity of the mosque and its religious status among Muslims worldwide. It considered that this systematic policy aims to restrict freedom of worship and a blatant assault on internationally guaranteed religious rights, especially in light of the spiritual atmosphere of the holy month.

Jerusalemite activities rejected the security pretexts put forward by the occupation to justify the closure of the mosque, describing them as repeated excuses aimed at covering up the violations. Sources indicated that the closure coincided with a wide-ranging campaign of expulsions targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque guards and those stationed there to empty it of its protectors and facilitate control over it.

The commission warned of what it described as dangerous objectives behind this closure, foremost among them undermining the powers of the Islamic Endowments Department, which has legal and administrative authority over the mosque. It also warned that these steps aim to undermine the historical and legal Hashemite custodianship that Jordan holds over the Noble Sanctuary.

In a related context, the Jerusalem Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization warned of moves led by extremist settler groups to promote the rituals of sacrificing the 'Passover offering' inside Al-Aqsa. The department confirmed that these groups exploit government support to spread incitement materials and imaginative images simulating the performance of Talmudic rituals in the heart of the blessed mosque next month.

On the economic front, merchants in the Old City are suffering heavy losses as a result of the imposed siege and the prevention of shoppers from reaching their stores. The occupation police only allow stores specializing in selling foodstuffs to open, while the majority of shops remain forcibly closed due to restrictions on the movement of merchants themselves.

Local sources reported that many merchants failed to reach their stores because their registered residential addresses in their identity cards are outside the Old City's boundaries. Even those who manage to open their shops face a complete absence of purchasing movement due to the absence of worshippers and visitors who represent the main artery of Jerusalem's economy.

In a field testimony, Jerusalemite merchant Riyad Ad'eis said that the markets in the Khan al-Zeit area appear completely empty of passersby despite some food stores being allowed to operate. He explained that merchants open their doors symbolically without any sales, stressing that the current conditions have exceeded the ability of Jerusalemites to withstand taxes and accumulated debts.

Ad'eis concluded by pointing out that the Old City's economy relies entirely on visitors to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and with the continued closure, the markets have become ghosts. He affirmed that the continuation of this situation threatens the permanent closure of many commercial establishments that are no longer able to cover their operating expenses or pay their rents.

The closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque for the tenth consecutive day constitutes an unprecedented escalation that reflects the occupation's insistence on imposing a new reality and disrupting religious rituals during Ramadan.