Against the backdrop of the escalating conflict with Iran, Israel has taken an unprecedented step — it has sealed off the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, banning Muslim believers from visiting the holy places of the city for the first time in recent years. This decision provoked widespread condemnation and concerns about the deeper and more dangerous motives of the Israeli authorities.
Israel has previously imposed restrictions on Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, allowing only men over 55, women over 50, and children under 10 to enter, as well as requiring special permits for Palestinians arriving from the West Bank. This year, the measures were tightened: the mosque was completely sealed off and access to it was prohibited, which was an unprecedented step.
The Palestinian Hamas movement strongly condemned the ban, calling it part of a "systematic plan to Judaize" Jerusalem's holy sites and calling on Palestinians to resist the restrictions and continue to attend the mosque. The imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ikrim Sabri, was also subjected to administrative bans on visiting the holy place, but announced his intention not to comply with these measures.
The international community has expressed concern about the growing tension around Al-Aqsa, given its important religious significance for Muslims around the world. The Israeli actions are seen as a provocation capable of provoking further escalation of the conflict in the region.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest shrine in Islam, located in East Jerusalem, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. Control of this place is one of the key factors in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In recent years, Israel has regularly imposed restrictions on mosque visits, especially during holy periods for Muslims, which causes mass protests and clashes.
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