Jerusalem Governorate: Continued Closure of "Al-Aqsa" and Prevention of Eid Prayer in Its Courtyards is an Unprecedented Escalation and an Attempt to Impose Dangerous Judaization Facts

SadaNews - The Jerusalem Governorate regarded the continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the inability of our people to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer tomorrow, Friday, within its courtyards as a serious and unprecedented escalation, and a flagrant violation of the freedom of worship and the legal and historical status prevailing in the holy city.

The governorate confirmed in a statement on Thursday evening that what is happening represents a grave precedent, the first of its kind in decades, amidst a continuous closure for the twentieth consecutive day (since February 28), leading to the deprivation of Palestinians from performing the Eid prayer, as part of a systematic policy aimed at imposing new realities and isolating the Al-Aqsa Mosque from its Palestinian and Islamic surroundings.

It also affirmed that there is no sovereignty for the occupation over the occupied city of Jerusalem, stressing that all Israeli measures, including the complete closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law and international legitimacy decisions, and a clear violation of the existing situation in the holy sites.

The governorate emphasized that the authority to open or close the Al-Aqsa Mosque is an exclusive right of the Islamic Waqf Department as the legal entity responsible for managing the affairs of the mosque, while warning of the escalating calls from settler groups to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque after Eid al-Fitr, coinciding with "Passover," including public calls to bring sacrificial offerings and slaughter them inside the mosque's courtyards in a dangerous step that affects its sanctity.

The Jerusalem Governorate praised the resilience of our people in the holy city, who continued to uphold their right to worship despite this unprecedented closure, and despite being deprived of the rituals of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, as they embodied a unique state of steadfastness and attachment by performing prayers in the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque gates and the Old City, a scene reflecting the depth of the doctrinal and national connection to the mosque, despite the restrictions and repressive measures from the occupation accompanying their prayers.

It called on the international community, including the United Nations and human rights and religious organizations, to take urgent and effective action to stop these grave violations, ensure freedom of worship in the city of Jerusalem, and provide legal and political protection for Islamic and Christian sanctities, warning of the danger of the current phase which witnesses a rapid transition towards imposing unprecedented Judaization facts, and exploiting the current conditions to pass plans that affect the essence of the historical and legal situation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The governorate stressed that ending the occupation and holding it accountable has become an urgent necessity to protect Palestinian rights, foremost of which is the right to worship in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.