The Israeli police have decided to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque to incursions by extremist groups starting tomorrow, Thursday, for a duration of 16 days. This decision is justified by concerns over the security situation amid the current war, in an attempt to avoid exacerbating tensions and public anger in Jerusalem and the West Bank, especially following the forceful prevention of worshippers during the days known as the Hebrew holiday of Purim.
According to Hebrew media, the decision has sparked a wave of anger among the far-right, who view the government’s retreat from encouraging incursions during Ramadan, particularly in the last ten days, as a capitulation to the will of Palestinian factions. They blamed Minister Ben-Gvir for the decision, accusing him of yielding to security agencies that are wary of escalating the conflict.
Tommy Nisani, leader of the extremist organization "Beitar," stated that "the government has surrendered to the pressures of Hamas," noting that this closure is considered the longest against extremist groups compared to previous years, during which the mosque was closed to incursions for 12 days during the last ten days of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr in 2023, and for 13 days in 2022.
In this context, thousands of Palestinian citizens performed the Maghrib and Tarawih prayers at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday evening, despite the restrictions and pressures from Israeli authorities. The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem reported that 45,000 citizens performed the Maghrib and Tarawih prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque and its covered prayer areas.
