'Israel' bars Eid prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque for first time in 59 years
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For the first time in 59 years, the call to prayer was absent from Al-Aqsa Mosque as 'Israel' prevented worshippers from performing Eid al-Fitr prayers, leaving its courtyards empty and its halls heavy with silence.
The mosque, long a vibrant center for prayers and devotion, bore witness to the faithful’s prayers, tears, and enduring patience.
'Israeli' authorities did not allow Eid prayers this year, following a prolonged closure that included the last Friday of Ramadan, the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr), and the last ten days of the holy month. Palestinians expressed deep sorrow at being denied access to the site, Islam’s first Qibla.
On February 28, 'Israeli' authorities closed the mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem, citing a declared state of emergency coinciding with the joint US-'Israeli' military operation against Iran.
The closures also extended to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where services for Holy Week and Easter have been entirely suspended. Sunday Masses and other liturgical services, which were expected to draw hundreds of thousands of worshippers in the coming weeks, were also canceled.
The unprecedented restrictions have left both Muslim and Christian communities in Jerusalem unable to observe some of the most important religious rituals of the year, marking a period of profound spiritual and communal disruption.
