Israel briefly closes Al-Aqsa gate for military drills

Israel briefly closes Al-Aqsa gate for military drills

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MEE staff
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Wed, 07/15/2026 - 10:35

Closure is the latest in a series of escalating Israeli restrictions at the Jerusalem holy site

Palestinians walk near the Dome of the Rock inside Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem, 23 June 2026 (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

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Israeli forces briefly closed one of the gates to Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, citing military exercises.

The Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem Governorate said the drills were carried out in the mosque's courtyards and lasted around 30 minutes.

Although only the King Faisal Gate was shut, the governorate said Israeli forces imposed heightened security measures at the complex's other entrances, disrupting worshippers' access.

The closure comes amid a steady escalation of Israeli measures at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Earlier this year, Israel imposed an unprecedented 40-day closure of the mosque during its war with Iran, citing security concerns.

Palestinian Muslims were barred from entering the site for Friday prayers, Ramadan night prayers and the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Palestinian officials condemned the move as an attempt to curtail religious freedoms and further the "Judaisation" of the site, rather than a response to genuine security concerns.

Increasing Israeli control

In a report published earlier this month, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex 26 times in June.

The ministry said 4,212 Israeli settlers stormed the site during the same period under heavy police protection.

For decades, Al-Aqsa Mosque has been governed under an internationally recognised arrangement known as the status quo, which preserves the site's status as an exclusively Muslim place of worship. 

Al-Aqsa Mosque: The status quo explained

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Under the arrangement, the entire 144,00 sqm complex - including the Dome of the Rock, the Qibli Mosque and its surrounding courtyards, gates and religious buildings - is administered by the Islamic Waqf, the religious endowment overseen by Jordan.

The agreement permits non-Muslims to visit the site at designated times but reserves Muslim prayer rights exclusively to the site, with access and administration managed by the Waqf.

Responsibility for the site’s maintenance, administration and religious affairs also rests with the Waqf.

Palestinians say that since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, the status quo has been steadily undermined through tighter restrictions on Muslim worshippers, alongside an expanding Israeli presence at the site.

In recent months, they say Israel has further weakened the Waqf's authority by limiting maintenance work, revoking permits for its staff and allowing Jewish prayer at the site, despite longstanding prohibitions.

In May, Middle East Eye reported that Israel and the United States were "actively working" to strip Jordan of its historic custodianship of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Washington denied that any such plan exists.

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