OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM, OPT, April 9, 2026 – After forty days of unprecedented closure, the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque reopened at dawn on Thursday, allowing around 3,000 Palestinian worshippers to perform the Fajr prayer, a moment marked by tears, prostrations, and quiet defiance.

But for many Palestinians, the reopening has not signalled a return to normality. Instead, it has exposed what activists, officials, and observers describe as an intensifying Israeli strategy to reshape control over one of Islam’s holiest sites under the cover of war and “security measures.”

A Prayer After Siege:

Video footage circulating across regional media showed streams of worshippers entering the compound at first light, some weeping, others kissing the ground. Volunteers and custodians had spent hours preparing the courtyards after weeks of near-total emptiness.

“This is not just a prayer,” one Jerusalem-based worshipper told local reporters. “This is steadfastness. They tried to erase us from here.”

The closure, imposed on February 28 amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, effectively barred Palestinians from accessing the mosque, including during Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and weekly Friday prayers. Even limited access was denied to most, with only Waqf officials and staff permitted entry.

According to the Jerusalem Governorate, this marks the first time since Israel’s 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem that Palestinians were prevented from performing Eid prayers at Al-Aqsa, a move widely condemned as a historic escalation.

Reopening Under Force:

Despite the reopening, Israeli forces maintained a heavy presence across the Old City. Hundreds of police and border guards were deployed at gates and alleyways leading to the mosque.

Witnesses and officials reported:

• Strict ID checks at entrances
• Denial of entry to many young Palestinian men
• Physical assaults at the gates
• Forced removal of worshippers from courtyards

The Jerusalem Governorate confirmed that Israeli police detained activist Munta Amara at one of the mosque gates shortly after the reopening, along with another young man inside the compound.

“These practices show that the so-called reopening is conditional and coercive,” a local activist said. “Access is still controlled through force.”

Settler Raids Intensify, “A Dangerous Escalation”:

Within hours of the Fajr prayer, Israeli authorities cleared Palestinian worshippers from the compound and allowed groups of Israeli settlers to enter under armed protection.

Videos showed settlers praying and dancing inside the compound.

The Jerusalem Governorate issued a stark warning:

“The extension reflects an acceleration in efforts to impose new realities at Al-Aqsa Mosque and entrench time-based division.”

Under newly expanded regulations:

• Settler incursions now run 6.5 hours daily
• Morning raids begin earlier (6:30 am)
• The duration of access has been extended beyond pre-war norms

Palestinian officials and religious authorities argue this reflects a long-term Israeli policy aimed at dividing the site along temporal lines, similar to arrangements imposed at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

“This is not about security,” a Waqf-affiliated official told regional media.

“It is about sovereignty, control, and gradual annexation of a religious space.”

The “Status Quo” Under Strain:

Al-Aqsa is governed under a longstanding Status Quo arrangement, which recognises the site as a Muslim holy place administered by the Islamic Waqf under Jordanian custodianship.

However, human rights organisations and legal experts say Israel has systematically undermined this framework by:

• Allowing settler incursions and prayer
• Restricting Muslim access
• Increasing military presence within the compound

Under international law, East Jerusalem is considered occupied territory, and Israel is prohibited from altering its character or imposing permanent changes.

Yet critics argue that recent developments, particularly during the Iran war, demonstrate an acceleration of such changes.

War As Pretext?

Israeli authorities justified the closure by citing security concerns linked to the regional war involving Iran.

But Palestinian officials and analysts question the rationale.

“Why is it that Palestinian worship is restricted, while other gatherings continue?” asked a Jerusalem-based rights researcher.

“Security is being used selectively,  as a tool of control.”

The closure also extended to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, severely disrupting Christian observances during Lent and Easter preparations, highlighting the broader impact on religious life in the city.

West Bank Violence Continues Unabated:

While Al-Aqsa reopened, Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank intensified.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and local reports:

• A 28-year-old Palestinian, Alaa Khaled Mohammed Sbeih, was shot and killed near Tayasir
• Multiple raids were carried out in Nablus, Jenin, and the surrounding villages
• Homes were stormed and destroyed in Ya’bad
• Several Palestinians were detained

The Israeli military claimed the shooting involved an off-duty soldier responding to stone-throwing.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that:

• Over 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since 2023
• At least 10,000 people have been forcibly displaced

Human rights organisations describe a pattern of escalating force, settler violence, and displacement occurring alongside restrictions in Jerusalem.

A Symbol Beyond Worship:

For Palestinians, Al-Aqsa is not only a religious site, but it is a symbol of identity, resistance, and presence in Jerusalem.

“The battle over Al-Aqsa is a battle over existence,” said a Jerusalem-based community organiser.

“Every restriction, every raid, every arrest, it is about who belongs here.”

Even as the mosque’s gates reopened, the broader reality remains unchanged:

• Military control continues
• Access remains conditional
• Settler incursions are expanding
• Arrests and violence persist

Temporary Opening, Permanent Tensions:

Israeli authorities say the reopening follows “updated security instructions” from the Home Front Command, but have not clarified whether restrictions could be reimposed.

The state of emergency remains in effect until at least mid-April.

For many Palestinians, the fear is that the 40-day closure was not an anomaly, but a precedent.

“This was a test,” one activist warned.

“And now they are building on it.”

Conclusion: Reopening Without Freedom.

The reopening of Al-Aqsa Mosque has offered a moment of spiritual relief for thousands. But it has also underscored a deeper reality: access to one of Islam’s holiest sites remains subject to military authority, political calculation, and an evolving system of control.

As regional war reshapes the political landscape, Al-Aqsa stands once again at the centre, not only of faith, but of power, law, and resistance.

Source: Multiple News Agencies