Thousands of Palestinians Pray at Al-Aqsa After 40-Day Israeli Ban

Following a 40-day closure imposed by Israel, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem reopened to Palestinian worshippers on April 9, 2026. Approximately 3,000 individuals attended morning prayers as restrictions were lifted amid a two-week ceasefire in the broader regional conflict involving Iran. The closure, which began on February 28 during the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran, had previously prohibited access or limited it to very few faithful across Christian, Jewish, and Muslim sites. This ban notably prevented Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the first such restriction since 1967. While holy sites have reopened for Easter celebrations, security remains tight with hundreds of police officers deployed in Jerusalem's Old City. Concurrently, violence continues in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli raids resulted in fatalities and arrests, including the shooting of a man near Tayasir.