Following Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israeli territory, Israeli authorities have blocked access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, further escalating tensions across the region. The closure comes as fears mount over the potential for widespread unrest following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and Israel.
According to reports, Israeli police have sealed all entry points to the mosque, preventing Palestinians from praying at the holy site. This move has drawn sharp condemnation from Palestinian officials and Islamic leaders, who called it a blatant violation of religious freedoms and an act of collective punishment.
The decision to block Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site, came just hours after Iran launched a missile and drone assault in response to Israel’s alleged assassination of top Iranian commanders in Tehran. The confrontation has triggered widespread anger across the Muslim world, with mass protests erupting in several cities.
Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, director of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, denounced the closure as “a provocation and dangerous escalation,” warning that it could ignite another wave of violent confrontations in the occupied territories.
Human rights groups and international observers have urged Israel to reverse the decision, citing the right to worship and the potential for inflaming religious tensions during a critical geopolitical moment.
As the war rhetoric grows louder, the targeting of Al-Aqsa—already a long-standing flashpoint—threatens to draw broader regional involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict and stoke further instability in Palestine.
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Israel has blocked access to Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem following Iran’s retaliatory strike, a move condemned as a violation of religious rights. Tensions soar as the holy site becomes a flashpoint amid escalating Israel-Iran conflict.
Credit: Middle East Eye
