Israel has announced that Friday prayers will not be permitted at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing heightened security concerns following recent regional tensions.
According to reports, Brigadier General Hisham Ibrahim, head of the Israeli Civil Administration, said in a statement on the military’s “Al-Mansaq” platform that the decision was taken in light of the security situation after Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel and the wider region.
Officials said all religious sites in occupied Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall, the Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, will be closed to worshippers and pilgrims on Friday.
People of any religion will not be allowed to enter.
The announcement comes after Israel and its close ally, the United States, launched military operations against Iran last week.
Oman had previously been mediating talks between the two sides, saying an agreement was close after Tehran reportedly agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium needed for nuclear weapons.
Iran has responded with missile strikes following the attacks. Authorities say 12 people have been killed in Israel, while at least 1,230 deaths have been reported in Iran as a result of the operations.
Since the start of the conflict, Israeli authorities have restricted civilian entry into occupied Jerusalem, allowing access only to local residents and shopkeepers.
Sheikh Ikrimah Sabri, senior imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, strongly criticised the continued closure, saying Israeli authorities use every opportunity to shut the mosque and that the decision cannot be justified.
Restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa were in place even before the latest war.
Last month, Israeli authorities said only 10,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank would be allowed to attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan, despite the compound’s capacity of around half a million people.
Jerusalem’s Old City is located in occupied East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war and later annexed, a move not recognised under international law.
Palestinians say Israeli settlers enter the Al-Aqsa compound regularly under police protection.
The mosque complex is officially administered by Jordan, while access is controlled by Israeli security forces.
Under current arrangements, non-Muslims may visit during specified hours but are not permitted to pray there or display religious symbols.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has repeatedly called for Jews to be allowed to pray at the site and has criticised existing arrangements.
In 2024, he stated that he wanted to see a synagogue built at the compound.
