Access to Al-Aqsa Mosque has remained blocked for the eleventh consecutive day as the final Friday of Ramadan approaches, preventing Palestinian worshippers from reaching one of Islam’s holiest sites during the most significant days of the sacred month. Israeli occupation authorities have limited entry to only a small number of Islamic Waqf employees, guards and the mosque’s muezzin, while the vast courtyards that normally host tens of thousands of worshippers have been left largely empty.

The restrictions have been accompanied by a heavy deployment of Israeli forces throughout the Old City of Jerusalem and around the gates leading to the mosque compound. Palestinians attempting to approach the area face strict movement controls and checkpoints that effectively prevent them from entering the site. Observers monitoring developments in the city say the atmosphere around the compound is unusually quiet for this stage of Ramadan, when nightly prayers and gatherings typically fill the historic courtyards.

Inside the compound, only a handful of officials remain present, including the mosque’s director, Omar Al-Kiswani, along with a limited number of staff members responsible for maintaining the site. Analysts following Jerusalem affairs warn that the closure comes at a particularly sensitive moment as the final Friday of Ramadan draws near, a day that traditionally brings vast numbers of Palestinian worshippers from across the West Bank and Jerusalem to the mosque.

Palestinian observers say it remains unclear whether access will be restored before the end of the holy month. Some believe authorities may allow a partial reopening in the coming days, though current indications suggest restrictions could continue during the upcoming prayer. Rights advocates warn that prolonged closures risk further altering the longstanding arrangements governing access to the site, raising concerns about the future of religious freedom for Palestinians in Jerusalem during a period already marked by the wider genocidal war affecting Palestinians across the region.