JERUSALEM, April 8, 2026 (WAFA) – The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department announced Wednesday evening the reopening of Al-Aqsa Mosque to worshippers, without restrictions on numbers, starting from dawn prayer on Thursday, following a 40-day closure imposed by Israeli occupation authorities under the pretext of a “state of emergency” and security measures.

During the closure, Israeli forces imposed strict military measures around the mosque and closed the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Groups supporting the so-called alleged “Temple” took advantage of the Jewish Passover period, which began on April 2 and continues until April 9, to incite the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and call for sacrificial rituals inside it.

Official and religious authorities had warned of the dangers of the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, considering it a blatant violation of freedom of worship and a serious escalation requiring urgent international intervention to halt these measures.

T.R.