Israeli occupation continues closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Holy Sepulchre for 38th day amid warnings of settlement escalation

OCCUPIED QUDS, April 06 (YPA) – For the 38th consecutive day, Israeli occupation authorities continue to seal off the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

This closure, cited under the pretext of “emergency security measures,” marks the longest continuous shutdown since 1967.

Israeli occupation authorities are reportedly utilizing the “emergency” status to tighten their grip on the holy sites. In response, Jerusalemite grassroots movements have called for mobilization at military checkpoints to break the siege.

The Quds (Jerusalem) Governorate warned of unprecedented attempts by Zionist settlers to smuggle “animal sacrifices” into Al-Aqsa during the Jewish Passover. Seven documented attempts have been recorded—the highest since 1967—with some settlers reaching the outskirts of the Old Quds City.

“Temple Mount” organizations are exploiting the historic closure by launching intensive propaganda campaigns, utilizing AI-generated imagery to mobilize extremists and advocate for the forceful imposition of biblical rituals.

Official and religious bodies have condemned the ongoing closure as a “flagrant violation” of the freedom of worship. They characterized the escalation as a strategic move to employ religious rituals as a tool for settlement expansion and “Judaization,” calling for urgent international intervention to protect the Islamic and Christian identity of the holy sites.

YPA