Khaberni - Israeli occupation police prevented, on Saturday evening, the night and Tarawih prayers at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, citing the state of emergency announced at the moment of the American-Israeli attack on Iran, which began at dawn on Saturday.
According to sources in the Islamic Waqf Department, the prayer was led by the mosque's imam Sheikh Yusuf Abu Sneineh, its director Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, and a few employees of the Waqf, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The Jerusalem Governorate stated that the number of worshippers in the Tarawih prayers has ranged from 35 to 100,000 since the beginning of this Ramadan, but today's prayer was prohibited, as were other prayers, citing the declared state of emergency.
Meanwhile, the Hebrew Channel 12 reported that the Home Front Command had ordered the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, citing the "security situation".
Removal of Worshipers
Upon the declaration of the state of emergency, the Israeli Home Front Command "shifted from full activity to only essential operations across the country," thus suspending education, prohibiting public gatherings, and limiting going to work except for employees identified as essential workers.
Consequently, the prohibition of public gatherings extended to Al-Aqsa Mosque, although it is administered by the Jordanian-managed Waqf. Just before the Saturday noon call to prayer, dozens of Jerusalemite worshippers and those who arrived from areas within the Palestinian interior, along with Waqf employees, were expelled, and only Al-Aqsa guards were allowed to remain on duty before the mosque doors were shut by order of the occupation police.
Forced Evacuation
The absence of worshippers in the night and Tarawih prayers – on the eleventh of Ramadan – reminds worshippers of the closure of the doors of one of their holiest sites during Ramadan 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic reached the country.
In a post on social media platforms, Jerusalem affairs researcher Ziad Abhais wrote, "The closure of Al-Aqsa in Ramadan represents the peak of its monopolization for further Judaization, and solidifying Al-Aqsa under the supposed Israeli sovereignty."
He added that the closure of Al-Aqsa "should not be allowed to pass or continue, and must be confronted with every possible effort."
Pressure on Jerusalem Traders
Occupation police did not only close the doors of one of the holiest sites but also tightened it upon the Jerusalemite traders in the Old City and its surroundings, forcing them to close their shops except for those specializing in groceries or bakeries. Eyewitnesses said that occupation police intentionally closed the commercial shops in Al-Qattanin market leading to Al-Aqsa.
During Ramadan, this market is heavily frequented by worshippers and is considered one of the most vibrant; however, the occupation now targets its traders, with settlers routinely performing Torah prayers and rituals daily inside it under the protection of occupation police.
Earlier on Saturday, the Islamic Waqf Ministry announced that occupation authorities had closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, forcing its employees to leave, citing the state of emergency.
