Israeli authorities reopened Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday after an unprecedented closure lasting more than 40 days.
More than 3,000 Palestinian worshippers performed the dawn (Fajr) prayer at the site for the first time since the United States and Israel launched their joint assault on Iran on 28 February.
Footage shared online showed the reopening of the mosqueโs gates, with large crowds entering its courtyards and expressing joy at returning after the prolonged closure.
Videos also showed volunteers and mosque custodians cleaning and preparing the site to receive worshippers.
Israel had closed Al-Aqsa - one of Islamโs holiest sites - and barred Palestinian Muslims from accessing it, including during Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Friday prayers.
Israeli authorities cited security concerns linked to the war on Iran, but Palestinians have questioned these claims, particularly as large Jewish holiday gatherings have been permitted elsewhere.
Many accuse Israel of using the war as a pretext to tighten control over the site, including regulating access, opening hours and permitted activities.
Israeli authorities have also resumed near-daily incursions by ultra-nationalists into Al-Aqsa following its reopening, while extending their duration.
Dozens entered the site from 6:30am local time, shortly after Muslim worshippers were cleared from the site following dawn prayers.
Those entering were seen praying and dancing under heavy police protection.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in Jerusalemโs Old City, is governed by the decades-old Status Quo, an international arrangement that recognises its Islamic character and grants Muslim authorities control over access, worship and maintenance. Israel has long violated this arrangement.
Israelโs control of East Jerusalem, including the Old City, is widely regarded as a violation of international law, which holds that an occupying power has no sovereignty over the territory it occupies and must not impose permanent changes.
*๐Follow us on WhatsApp channel:*
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5g6m960eBl9eWSBr0y