Israeli occupation forces continue to close Al-Aqsa Mosque for the 13th consecutive day

QUDS, March 12 (YPA) – Israeli occupation forces continued to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the 13th consecutive day, preventing Palestinian Muslim worshippers from performing prayers there, under the pretext of security conditions related to the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to Palestinian sources.

The Quds Governorate warned of a dangerous escalation in incitement led by extremist Temple Mount organizations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, amidst the ongoing closure measures.

The continued closure of the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan is a dangerous precedent, as it marks the first time since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 that Taraweeh prayers and Itikaf (seclusion for worship) have been prohibited inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The closure coincides with a heavy deployment of Israeli forces around the Al-Aqsa compound and at the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City, with residents barred from entering its courtyards. Shops in the Old City markets have also remained closed.

The continued closure of Al-Aqsa comes as the Israeli military announced a broader lockdown of the occupied West Bank, hours after Israel and the United States launched a large-scale attack on Iran.

@E.Y.M