Hundreds of Muslim worshippers held Eid prayers at the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday after Israeli authorities sealed off access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and other sacred sites amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Since Israel and the U.S. started the war with Iran on Feb. 28, Israeli authorities have closed access to Jerusalem's world-renowned holy sites over security concerns, Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians and the Western Wall for Jews.
Researchers say this is the first time the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, has been closed during the last 10 days of Ramadan and for Eid al-Fitr since Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.
As Ramadan concluded and Eid al-Fitr began, hundreds of Palestinian worshippers gathered at dawn outside the Old City carrying prayer mats, determined to observe the holiday despite being barred from entering the Al-Aqsa compound.
Many described the situation as unprecedented and deeply painful, highlighting the emotional toll of being denied access to one of Islam’s holiest sites during the most sacred period of the Islamic calendar.
