For the thirtieth day: The silence of the minarets in Al-Aqsa and an Israeli decision to extend the closure until mid-April

The closure of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque entered its thirtieth consecutive day, as the occupation authorities continue to prevent worshippers from reaching the mosque and performing their religious rituals. Israeli security agencies cite the state of emergency resulting from the ongoing military confrontation since late February as justification for this unprecedented religious siege.

Occupation authorities informed the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem of their decision to keep the mosque closed until April 15, 2026. This closure is the longest and most stringent since the occupation of the holy city in 1967, raising serious concerns about the future of the status quo in the Noble Sanctuary.

Field sources reported that the occupation police imposed a tight security cordon around the Old City and deployed extensive reinforcements at all gates leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque. These measures prevented last Friday's prayer, forcing hundreds of Jerusalemites to spread out in nearby streets and roads to perform prayers amidst security restrictions and harassment.

Video clips documented distress calls from the elderly and Jerusalemites who tried to reach the mosque, warning of the dangers surrounding it in light of this absolute silence. Activists called for the necessity of setting out and acting to break the siege imposed on the first Qibla of Muslims, emphasizing that Al-Aqsa is at a dangerous historical turning point.

The policy of isolation was not limited to Al-Aqsa Mosque alone but extended to include Christian holy sites in the city, as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre remained closed to pilgrims and worshippers. These steps come within a comprehensive Israeli vision aimed at isolating occupied Jerusalem from its geographical and demographic surroundings under the guise of current military circumstances.

On the digital front, social media platforms were abuzz with a wave of anger and condemnation due to the continued silence of the minarets and the absence of the call to prayer and prayers in the mosque. Bloggers considered the continuation of the closure for a full month a stab in the conscience of the nation, especially as these measures coincided with important religious occasions that passed without their usual rituals being performed.

Followers criticized the absence of an effective Arab and Islamic stance towards what is happening in Jerusalem, affirming that this laxity encouraged the occupation to persist in its measures. They pointed out that the pretext of 'state of emergency' seems flimsy, especially since it is applied with extreme selectivity targeting the Islamic and Christian presence in the heart of the holy city exclusively.

Specialists in Jerusalem affairs warned that the occupation seeks to establish a new reality aimed at the complete temporal division of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Leaked plans include attempts to equalize the hours of incursions allocated to settlers with the hours of presence of Muslim worshippers, at nine hours for each party, in a step to end the exclusive Islamic sovereignty over the place.

Reports indicate that the Israeli government is working to permanently re-violate the Dar al-Hadith area and the eastern courtyard of the mosque. Restrictions are also concentrated in the Bab al-Rahma area, with the aim of full control over the eastern section of Al-Aqsa Mosque and transforming it into an area of settlement influence in preparation for broader Judaization operations.

The preparation for imposing temporal and spatial division includes making the Jewish presence a permanent part of the daily program within the courtyards of the Noble Sanctuary. Observers believe that these fundamental changes in the religious and historical function of the place aim to create a new reality that will be difficult to change after the current military conditions end, which requires urgent action to protect the holy sites.

Al-Aqsa calls you, Al-Aqsa is in danger, set out, oh world, to Al-Aqsa, march to Al-Aqsa.