No Muslim will be allowed to enter the holy area for one of the major Islamic holidays for the first time since 1967.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest Muslim sites in Jerusalem, has been closed by Israeli authorities, despite Muslims around the world celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the last Friday of Ramadan.
The building was closed due to the Iran war, and believers have not been allowed to celebrate the feast for the first time since 1967.
Thousands of people gathered in Jerusalem on Friday to pray, but their attempts to approach the gates of the Old City were met with tear gas from Israeli security forces stationed at checkpoints, photos from the scene show.
Israel blocked access to the Old City, including the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing security concerns on February 28, when it launched a joint attack on Iran with the United States.
The mosque remains off limits as the conflict enters its fourth week. In early March, a group of eight Muslim-majority nations – Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – issued a joint statement condemning the closure.
“Security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, as well as discriminatory and arbitrary restrictions on other places of worship in the Old City, are a clear violation of international law,” the group said, stressing that Israel has “no jurisdiction over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”
With the Easter season fast approaching, security measures implemented by Israel in the Old City put Christian holidays at risk as well. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the holiest site in Christianity, has remained off-limits, causing concern over the celebration of the Holy Fire, a major Orthodox event held every year on Holy Saturday. This year, the celebration will be celebrated on April 11, and it is still unclear whether Christian leaders and worshipers will be allowed to enter the church.
The Russian Orthodox Church has spoken out about the restrictions, expressing hope that the closure of the church will not disrupt the transfer of the Holy Fire. Failure to find the Holy Fire is considered among Orthodox Christians as a bad omen, and possibly a sign that Armageddon is approaching.
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