Al-Aqsa reopens for Friday prayers after weeks-long closure

A massive crowd of Palestinian men, women, children and elderly worshippers filled the courtyards of Al‑Aqsa Mosque on Friday, marking the first Jumu’ah prayers after a closure that lasted more than 40 days. Israel announced on Wednesday that it would reopen the mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre from Thursday morning, ending one of the longest restrictions on access to Jerusalem’s holiest sites.

Long‑Awaited Return

The closure, imposed on 28 February, barred Palestinians from performing daily prayers and five consecutive Friday congregations on 6, 13, 20 and 27 March and 3 April. Worship resumed on the sixth Friday, 10 April. This year, for the first time since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, authorities also prevented Eid al‑Fitr prayers from being held at Al‑Aqsa.

Regional Context and Türkiye’s Stance

The restrictions were imposed by Israeli authorities as a “security measure” during the joint US‑Israeli war on Iran that began on 28 February. Türkiye has consistently condemned the closure of Al‑Aqsa and the denial of worship rights, calling them unacceptable provocations that violate international law and the historic status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites. The reopening comes as a fragile ceasefire holds between Washington and Tehran, but with deep disagreements over Lebanon, uranium enrichment and the Strait of Hormuz still unresolved.