Israeli authorities have confirmed the extended closure of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque through the upcoming Eid al-Fitr celebrations and beyond, according to sources familiar with the matter. Middle East Eye has learned that the Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian-appointed body administering the holy site, received official notification of this decision in recent days.
The unprecedented shutdown of one of Islam’s most sacred sites began earlier this month citing security concerns during regional tensions. This marks the first Ramadan since Israel’s 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem that Palestinian worshippers have been completely barred from Friday prayers at the mosque.
The closure has drawn condemnation from eight Muslim-majority nations who declared Israel holds ‘no sovereignty’ over the site and demanded immediate lifting of restrictions. Despite these calls, Israeli forces maintain a heavy presence in the Old City, continuing bans on both Friday and nightly Ramadan prayers while preventing Palestinian access to the compound.
Currently, no more than 25 Waqf staff members are permitted inside the vast complex per shift. Sources reveal Israeli authorities even rejected a request for an additional manuscript department employee, warning that any expansion would trigger permission for Israeli settlers to resume daily incursions.
Waqf officials suspect Israeli forces have installed surveillance cameras inside prayer halls, including within the Dome of the Rock, enabling constant monitoring. The mosque closure coincides with a near-total lockdown of the Old City, where only residents are permitted entry, leaving normally vibrant Palestinian markets deserted.
During Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night in Islam, hundreds of police blocked access routes, forcing worshippers to pray on streets under threat of violence. Dr. Mustafa Abu Sway of the Islamic Waqf Council noted the stark contrast between the internal lockdown and normal life continuing just meters outside the ancient walls.
International affairs director Aouni Bazbaz expressed concerns that temporary measures could become permanent arrangements, potentially altering decades-long status quo agreements that preserve Al-Aqsa as an exclusively Islamic site under Waqf administration. Palestinians maintain that Israeli occupation has progressively eroded these arrangements while expanding control over the contested territory.