Israeli plan to continue Al-Aqsa Mosque closure during Eid al-Fitr and beyond

Informed media sources revealed that the Israeli occupation authorities intend to keep the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque closed to worshippers during the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday and the days that follow. The sources clarified that this decision was officially communicated to the Islamic Waqf Department in occupied Jerusalem, which is the body responsible for managing the mosque's affairs, in the past few days.

This approach comes amid the continued closure of the mosque, which began earlier this month, with the occupation authorities citing the tense 'security situation' resulting from ongoing military confrontations. This closure is considered a dangerous precedent, especially as it coincided with the holy month of Ramadan, depriving thousands of worshippers from accessing their first Qibla.

Field sources reported that this year witnessed the first Ramadan since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 where Palestinians were completely prevented from performing Friday prayers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards. This measure has sparked widespread condemnation from national and religious bodies, which considered it an attempt to impose a new reality and consolidate Israeli control.

In the context of international reactions, eight Islamic countries had earlier condemned this closure, describing it as 'unjustified,' emphasizing that the occupation has no legal sovereignty over the holy sites. These countries demanded the immediate lifting of restrictions and ensuring freedom of worship, but the occupation authorities continued their intransigence without any change in their field policies.

Reports indicate that Friday and Taraweeh prayers are still completely prohibited, with a heavy deployment of police forces and border guards in the alleys of the Old City and at the mosque's gates. The mosque compound is under strict surveillance, where no more than 25 employees from the Waqf Department are allowed to enter to carry out their administrative and service duties during each work shift.

Sources in the Waqf Department stated that the occupation authorities rejected a request to increase the number of permitted employees, including those from the manuscripts department. The occupation police threatened that if the number of employees increased, they would allow settlers to resume their daily incursions into the mosque, which Waqf officials considered political blackmail.

There is a state of concern within the Islamic Waqf circles that Israeli forces may install advanced surveillance devices and cameras inside the covered prayer halls, including the Dome of the Rock. This step, according to observers, aims to impose continuous and comprehensive electronic surveillance on everything that happens inside the historical prayer areas.

In parallel with the mosque's closure, the occupation authorities have imposed a near-complete siege on the Old City of Jerusalem, leading to widespread commercial and economic paralysis. Entry to the area has been restricted to residents whose IDs indicate they live within the walls, turning the historical markets, which were once bustling with life, into semi-deserted areas.

Despite the stagnation in the Old City, life continues normally in areas controlled by settlers or in West Jerusalem, just a few meters away. This disparity reflects the systematic policy of restriction targeting the Palestinian presence in the heart of the holy city under the guise of security necessities.

For his part, Awni Bazbaz, Director of International Relations at the Waqf Department, warned that these measures might not be temporary as the occupation claims. He expressed his fear that these restrictions could turn into permanent arrangements if the international and local community becomes accustomed to the absence of worshippers from Al-Aqsa Mosque for long periods.

Historically, Al-Aqsa Mosque is subject to what is known as the 'Status Quo,' an international arrangement that preserves the mosque's status as exclusively for Muslims under Jordanian administration. However, Palestinians assert that Israel has been working for decades to undermine this status through repeated incursions and age and time restrictions on worshippers' entry.

International laws consider Israel's control over East Jerusalem and the Old City an illegal act, as the occupying power does not have the right of sovereignty. International agreements stipulate the necessity of preserving religious and cultural landmarks in occupied territories without changing their identity or preventing their owners from accessing them.

Analysts believe that the occupation's exploitation of the current military circumstances to impose a long-term closure on Al-Aqsa aims to break the religious and national link between Palestinians and their holy sites. Fears are growing that this year's Eid al-Fitr will be a sad one for Jerusalemites due to their deprivation from praying in their captive mosque.

Amid this escalation, Islamic bodies in Jerusalem are demanding urgent Arab and international action to pressure the occupation government to reverse its decisions. Jerusalemites affirm that Al-Aqsa Mosque will remain the core of the conflict, and the occupation's measures will not change the reality of its Arab Islamic identity, no matter how severe the restrictions.

The closure raised fears that what is presented as a temporary measure could gradually turn into a permanent or semi-permanent arrangement.