Israeli authorities have extended the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem until at least 15 April, Middle East Eye has learned.
Sources familiar with the mosque’s affairs said Israeli officials on Wednesday informed the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf – the Jordanian-appointed body that administers the site – of the extension.
It remains unclear whether the mosque will reopen after 15 April or if the closure will be prolonged further.
Israel has kept Al-Aqsa, one of Islam’s holiest sites, closed since 28 February, when it launched a war with the United States against Iran.
Officials have cited public safety concerns to justify both the closure and the ban on worshippers. Palestinians, however, accuse Israeli authorities of using the war as a pretext to consolidate control over the mosque.
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While the mosque and the Old City have been under near-total lockdown, life elsewhere in Jerusalem has continued largely uninterrupted, with large gatherings and religious events proceeding as normal.
Critics also point to the lack of air raid shelters available to Palestinians in Jerusalem and across Israel, raising doubts about whether adequate measures are in place to protect them from rockets or interceptor debris.
They further note that Al-Aqsa contains underground facilities capable of sheltering hundreds of people, which could be used in emergencies.
‘Unprecedented escalation’
The closure, now nearing a month, is unprecedented. The mosque has not been shut to Muslim worshippers for such a prolonged period since Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.
It comes amid ongoing efforts to increase Jewish presence at the site while restricting Palestinian access.
Al-Aqsa stands on a plateau believed by Jews to be the site of the First and Second Temples, with some believing a Third Temple will be built there following the arrival of the Messiah.
Israel’s closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque is an act of war
For decades, ultra-nationalist Israeli groups have advocated demolishing the mosque to build such a temple.
The closure has been condemned by the Palestinian Authority, several Muslim and Arab states, and prominent religious figures.
Ekrima Sabri, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem and a senior imam at Al-Aqsa, described the closure as “unjustified” and “illegal”.
“The closure contravenes freedom of worship and suggests that the occupation authorities are asserting control over the mosque while stripping the Islamic Waqf of its authority to administer it,” he said.
The Jerusalem Governorate last week said the continued closure marked an “unprecedented escalation” and an attempt to “impose dangerous Judaisation measures” at Al-Aqsa.
“All Israeli measures, including the comprehensive closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law and international resolutions, as well as a clear violation of the status quo governing the holy sites,” it said.
The closure was also condemned by Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Israel’s 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 make permanent changes there.