‘Israel’ closes Al Aqsa Mosque for fifth day amid West Bank escalation

'Israeli' authorities continued, for the fifth consecutive day, to shut down the Al Aqsa Mosque compound to worshippers, as field tensions intensified across the occupied West Bank with mass arrests and new land seizures in Jenin.

Tight siege on Aqsa Mosque

The Jerusalem Governorate said in a press statement that 'Israeli' forces are imposing a strict blockade on the Al Haram Al Sharif compound, preventing worshippers and Jerusalemite residents from entering its courtyards under the pretext of declaring a “state of emergency.”

According to the statement, the surroundings of the mosque and the gates of the Old City have witnessed heavy military deployment.

The closure measures began on Saturday morning, when occupation forces forcibly cleared the mosque of worshippers and have since barred the performance of prayers there, including Isha and Taraweeh prayers.

West Bank escalation: arrests, land seizure

In parallel, 'Israeli' forces escalated raids across various areas of the occupied West Bank.

• Arrest campaign: The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club announced that occupation forces carried out a wide arrest campaign targeting 30 Palestinians, including a journalist and former detainees. Arrests were concentrated in the cities of Hebron, Qalqilya, Jericho, and Nablus. The raids were accompanied by violent confrontations and injuries caused by heavy live fire, according to the statement.
• Land seizure: In Jenin Governorate, 'Israeli' authorities issued notices to seize dozens of dunams of land in the town of Jaba. The Jaba Municipal Council said the order was based on what occupation authorities refer to as the “right of use” law, targeting land near the entrance to the Tarsala site along the road linking Jenin and Nablus.