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Israel blocks access to Al-Aqsa mosque after Iran strike
13 June 2025 11:31 BST
Israel has completely blocked access to Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Local sources told the Palestinian Wafa news agency that Israeli forces stormed the mosque after dawn prayers on Friday to clear the area of any worshippers.
The Israeli military then sealed the doors to Al-Aqsa and banned worshippers from entering the mosque before sealing its gates, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to Wafa.
This shutdown means Muslim worshippers will be unable to conduct Friday prayers at the mosque, revered as the third holiest site in Islam.
The closure comes as Israel issues a complete lockdown across the occupied West Bank following the wave of attacks it launched on Iran.