Israel restricts gatherings, closes sacred sites in Jerusalem

Access to Jerusalem’s major religious sites has been suspended as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues, preventing Muslim worshippers from attending weekly Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the first time during this year’s Ramadan.

According to CNN, Israeli authorities closed the holy sites across Jerusalem due to security concerns linked to the ongoing war with Iran.

Brigadier General Hisham Ibrahim, head of Israel’s Civil Administration, said Iranian missile strikes that “put everyone’s life at risk” prompted the authorities to impose a series of security measures, including the closure of schools.

He said the decision is consistent with broader national safety measures such as the declaration of a state of emergency and a ban on mass gatherings.

Ibrahim added that other major religious sites in the city — including the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — will also remain closed, while stressing that Israel “remains committed to freedom of worship.”

Data cited in the report show that before the conflict began, the first two Fridays of Ramadan drew approximately 80,000 and 100,000 worshippers to mosques, respectively.

Israeli police said that since the outbreak of the war, Jerusalem’s holy sites have been closed to both worshippers and tourists. Additional restrictions imposed by the Israel Home Front Command prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people.

In his statement, Ibrahim also reiterated that the purpose of the Israeli-American operation is to eliminate what he described as “existential threats to Israel and other countries in the Middle East” and to “create a new regional reality.”

By Tamilla Hasanova