Behind the ancient stones of theOld City Of Jerusalem, commerce has all but disappeared after sweeping restrictions forced the vast majority of traders to pull down their shutters. Access points were sealed, movement tightly controlled, and the narrow markets that once carried the sounds of bargaining and footfall were left quiet. For families whose livelihoods depend on daily trade within the walls, the sudden halt has meant income cut off overnight and uncertainty stretching far beyond the so-called emergency.

The timing has compounded the blow. The weeks leading into Ramadan are traditionally when merchants recoup losses accumulated across the year, stocking up in anticipation of pilgrims and evening crowds. Instead, the ban on entry from surrounding areas emptied the streets, leaving shopkeepers with perishable goods, unpaid rents and mounting debts. What should have been a period of renewal has become a season of strain, deepening an economic crisis that was already fragile.

Restrictions extended beyond trade to the city’s religious heart. Entry toAl-Aqsa Mosque was curtailed, limiting access for worshippers and staff and narrowing the authority of the Jordanian Religious endowment that oversees the site. Veteran cleric Ikrima Sabri warned that such measures erode long-standing arrangements and infringe upon freedom of worship, cautioning that repeated closures under emergency claims risk reshaping the city’s religious and social balance.