Al-Aqsa Mosque Barred to Worshippers on Eid al-Fitr — First Time Since 1967
Israeli authorities barred Palestinian Muslim worshippers from accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the Old City of Jerusalem for Eid al-Fitr prayers — the first such closure since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967. Israeli police barricaded the compound's gates and fired stun grenades and tear gas to disperse crowds attempting to pray on the streets leading to Al-Aqsa. Hundreds of worshippers chanting 'God is the Greatest' were rapidly dispersed. Hours later, debris from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile struck a parking lot approximately 400 meters from the Western Wall and Al-Aqsa compound, causing property damage but no injuries. Eight Muslim-majority countries — including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — condemned the closure as 'a flagrant violation of international law.' The Waqf directorate warned that temporary security measures could gradually become permanent restrictions on access to Islam's third holiest site.
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- T2 Middle East Eye — Exclusive: Israel to keep Al-Aqsa Mosque closed through Eid al-Fitr Major middle_eastern
- T2 Times of Israel — Cops forcefully clear Eid prayers outside Jerusalem's Old City Major western
- T2 The National — Tense end to Ramadan as Israel shuts Al-Aqsa on Eid for first time in 60 years Major middle_eastern
- T2 Anadolu Agency — Israel bans Eid prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque Major middle_eastern