Israeli forces seal al-Aqsa mosque gates, Wafa says

Israeli forces forced Muslim worshippers out of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in  occupied Jerusalem on Friday, banning them from being inside before sealing its gates, Wafa Palestinian news agency reported.

Israeli police officers stormed the mosque compound after the dawn prayer.

Local sources told Wafa that this is first time the mosque has been emptied and closed by Israeli forces since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The closure of al-Aqsa Mosque comes while Israel announces a full lockdown across the occupied West Bank, following the Israeli launch of a wave of attacks on Iran.