Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department announced Wednesday evening the reopening of Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers, without restrictions on numbers, starting from dawn prayer on Thursday, following a 40-day closure imposed by Israeli occupation authorities under the pretext of a 'state of emergency' and security measures.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, during the closure, Israeli forces imposed strict military measures around the mosque and closed the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. Groups supporting the so-called alleged 'Temple' took advantage of the Jewish Passover period, which began on April 2 and continues until April 9, to incite the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and call for sacrificial rituals inside it.
Official and religious authorities had warned of the dangers of the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, considering it a blatant violation of freedom of worship and a serious escalation requiring urgent international intervention to halt these measures.
