After being closed for 40 days, the Al-Aqsa Mosque reopened to worshippers on Thursday, with calls to prayer heard for the first time in 40 days, attracting a large crowd eagerly waiting to offer prayers at one of the most significant Islamic sites.
The reopening comes ahead of weeks of restrictions on several holy sites in Jerusalem amidst high security following the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran, preventing Muslims from performing daily prayers.
Israeli police said that Jerusalem’s holy sites will reopen to worshippers and visitors following the 40-day cease-fire arrangement in the West Asia conflict. These sites included the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
However, these sites were closed during important religious days.
As the gates were opened after 40 days, with pre-dawn prayer echoing, a large number of worshipers poured out, with tears and a sense of gratitude, prostrating in the mosque’s courtyards; the visuals resurface on social media.
Israel completely shut access to the Al Aqsa Mosque on Feb 28, corresponding to its attack on Iran. The action only allowed mosque staff and officials from Jerusalem Islamic Waqf to offer prayer on the premises.
The action also restricted Eid al-Fitr prayers from being conducted at Al-Aqsa Mosque this year, which marked the first such restriction since Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.
Meanwhile, during the same time period, Israeli authorities also shut down the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is one of the holiest sites for Christians in Jerusalem.
This comes amidst the temporary 40-day ceasefire announcement in the US-Israel-Iran war and conflicts in West Asia. The US president Donald Trump, initially, suggested a “workable” 10 pointers to end the war that began on February 28. However, later, he said that stopping Iran’s nuclear program is one of the main goals of the war. Meanwhile, after the last-minute agreement to reopen the Strait, oil prices went down and stock markets in Asia went up.
Amidst the mixed emotions of the ceasefire, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that ships would still be allowed to pass through the strait, but Iran’s military would control how that happens. However, it’s not clear if Iran will fully remove its restrictions on the waterway.
However, Iran has announced alternative routes for ships to transit, citing risks from sea mines in the main channel, as reported by the AFP.
