For the fourth consecutive day, Israeli forces have closed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied Jerusalem, barring worshippers from both sites under the pretext of security. Palestinian leaders have condemned the move as a dangerous escalation of what they describe as a religious war.

Haron Nasser Al-Din, of Hamas’s political bureau, accused Israeli authorities of violating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa and attempting to erase its Islamic identity. He warned that these actions aim to assert Jewish control over the mosque, challenging decades of religious and historical status quo.

Nasser Al-Din urged Palestinians across Jerusalem, the West Bank, and within the 1948 territories to reach Al-Aqsa and remain steadfast. He also called on Arab and Muslim nations to uphold their religious responsibility, declaring: “Al-Aqsa is in danger, defending it is a sacred duty.”