For the first time in six decades, Al-Aqsa Mosque without Eid al-Fitr prayer

For the first time in nearly six decades, hundreds of worshippers performed Eid al-Fitr prayers in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, after being prevented by Israeli forces from accessing its courtyards.

This comes as Al-Aqsa Mosque has remained closed for the twenty-first consecutive day. Worshippers gathered at the closest points they were able to reach, particularly in the areas of Damascus Gate (Bab al-Amoud) and Lions’ Gate (Bab al-Sahira), where Eid takbirs were heard despite strict security measures.

These developments coincided with repeated actions by Israeli forces, who fired stun grenades and tear gas at worshippers near Bab al-Sahira, preventing them from advancing toward Al-Aqsa Mosque. A young man was also arrested on Salah al-Din Street, as part of measures restricting residents and preventing them from performing their religious rites, according to Palestinian media sources.

Worshippers in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Despite this, worshippers insisted on performing the Eid prayer in the streets, gathering from the early hours of the morning and chanting the takbirs.

The Jerusalem Governorate stated that the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the prevention of Eid prayers within its courtyards “constitute a serious and unprecedented escalation and a blatant violation of freedom of worship,” asserting that these measures aim to “impose new realities and isolate the mosque from its Palestinian surroundings.” It called on the international community to intervene urgently to halt these violations and ensure freedom of worship.

On February 28, Israeli authorities closed the mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem under the pretext of declaring a state of emergency, coinciding with the joint U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran.

This marks the first time that Eid prayers have been prevented since Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem in 1967.