Al-Qassam Website - Israeli occupation forces have continued to impose a full closure on Al-Aqsa Mosque for the 40th consecutive day, denying tens of thousands of Palestinian worshipers their right to access the holy mosque and perform Friday prayers.

The ongoing closure marks a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in occupied Jerusalem, widely viewed by Palestinians as part of a systematic effort to impose new realities on the ground. Israeli occupation has justified these measures under the pretext of “security conditions,” a claim Palestinians reject as a cover for expanding control over the holy site.

Moreover, the occupation forces have enforced sweeping military restrictions across Jerusalem’s Old City, sealing its gates, erecting checkpoints, and completely preventing access to Al-Aqsa Mosque. The heavy deployment has effectively turned the area into a militarized zone, isolating the mosque from its natural Palestinian surroundings.

Eyewitnesses and local residents report that worshipers have been forcibly turned away, with many compelled to perform prayers in the streets and nearby neighborhoods under strict surveillance and intimidation. The restrictions have disrupted daily life and religious practices, particularly during a period of heightened spiritual significance.

Palestinian officials and religious authorities warn that the continued closure forms part of a broader policy aimed at altering the historical and legal status quo of Al-Aqsa Mosque and consolidating Israeli control over the compound. They describe the measures as a grave violation of freedom of worship and international law.

In addition, calls for urgent international intervention have intensified, with religious and political leaders stressing that silence in the face of such actions risks further escalation and instability in the region.

At the same time, Israeli extremist groups associated with the so-called “Temple Mount” movement have escalated their calls for incursions into the mosque compound during the Jewish holiday of Passover, including provocative demands to perform ritual sacrifices within its courtyards between April 2 and April 9.

In response, Hamas Movement has called on Palestinians, as well as Arab and Muslim nations and supporters of justice worldwide, to mobilize mass demonstrations and solidarity actions in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque and in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.