JERUSALEM, March 9, 2026 (WAFA) – The Jerusalem Governorate warned on Monday of a dangerous escalation in the provocative rhetoric led by so-called extremist "Temple" organizations against the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid the ongoing closure measures imposed by the occupation authorities on the Mosque and its surroundings for the tenth consecutive day.

In a statement, the Governorate emphasized that what is happening does not fall within the framework of "temporary security measures" as claimed by the occupation authorities, but rather forms part of a political and ideological path seeking to change the religious, historical, and legal reality in the Al-Haram al-Sharif.

It pointed out that the so-called "Temple Institute"—the central institution for extremist groups seeking to establish the so-called "Temple" on the ruins of Al-Aqsa—called for the continuation of the closure under the pretext of a "lack of safe shelters."

The Governorate said the closure has become a strategic gain for so-called “Temple” organizations, which are working to sustain it, reflecting a policy of partitioning the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the basis that it is open to visitors of all religions. It added that the institute is promoting a long-term continuation of the closure until the end of the war to ensure it remains closed to Muslims throughout the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan and during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

It explained that the "Temple" organizations exploited this situation to intensify their propaganda campaigns to impose the so-called "Passover Sacrifice" inside Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Hebrew Passover (April 1–8, 2026), using AI-generated images and clips to mobilize their audience and impose the ritual by force.

The Jerusalem Governorate stressed that the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers, and the prevention of entry except for employees of the Islamic Waqf Department at limited times, represents a dangerous precedent, noting that this is the first time since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 that the Tarawih night prayers have been prevented in the Mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan.

It emphasized that the exclusive right to open and close Al-Aqsa Mosque is vested in the Islamic Waqf Department, the legal entity responsible for managing the Mosque's affairs according to the internationally recognized historical and legal status quo, and that any decision by the occupation authorities to close it or impose restrictions on worshippers constitutes a blatant violation of international law and freedom of worship.

The Governorate also drew attention to the dangerous irony witnessed in the city, where Palestinian worshippers are prevented from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque under the pretext of "safety measures," while thousands of colonists celebrated the "Purim" holiday in the streets of Jerusalem last Wednesday, in a scene that illustrates the double standards pursued by the occupation authorities.

A.D./T.R.