Tue 31 March 2026:

Israeli authorities have kept the third holiest site in Islam, Al-Aqsa Mosque, closed to Palestinian worshippers for 32 consecutive days, tightening restrictions under the cover of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the Wafa news agency reports.

At the same time, Jewish groups calling for the destruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque have urged their supporters to storm the site during Passover and perform sacrificial rituals inside the compound while demanding it be opened during the April 2-9 holiday.

Israel closed Al-Aqsa after the start of its war with Iran on Feb. 28, citing security concerns, while Iran has launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and what it describes as US interests in the region.

Authorities also prevented Eid al-Fitr prayers at the site this year for the first time since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967.

Despite condemnations from Arab and Muslim countries, Israeli authorities have refused to reopen the mosque. Worshippers in East Jerusalem said the closure is unjustified and politically motivated.

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Settler plans for animal sacrifices at Al-Aqsa Mosque

The Jerusalem Governorate has warned of attempts by settlers to bring animal sacrifices into Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing the move as a dangerous escalation aimed at imposing new religious rituals within the mosque compound.

In a statement issued Sunday evening, the Governorate said these attempts coincide with the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation authorities for the 30^th consecutive day, preventing worshippers from accessing the site.

The Governorate stated that such actions represent an effort to use religious rituals as a tool to Judaize Al-Aqsa Mosque, with plans to bring and slaughter animals — such as lambs or goats — inside the compound during the Jewish Passover holiday.

According to the statement, so-called “Temple Mount organizations” are exploiting the ongoing closure to intensify mobilisation efforts, including the use of AI-generated images and videos on their platforms to encourage supporters to carry out these acts.

The Governorate noted that 2025 has already seen three unprecedented attempts to introduce animal sacrifices into the mosque compound, including incidents where animals were slaughtered or blood-stained meat was brought inside. It described these actions as part of a systematic escalation aimed at imposing a new reality within the site.

It further warned that these efforts are tied to ideological beliefs within segments of the Israeli right wing and religious movements, which seek to establish new practices linked to the site and alter its historical and religious status.

The Governorate stressed that the period of the Jewish Passover, scheduled between 2^nd and 9^th April, could witness further escalation, warning that such developments pose a serious threat to the sanctity and status of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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