Israeli occupation forces stormed the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque at dawn on Friday, forcibly expelling peaceful Muslim worshippers immediately after Fajr prayer and sealing all gates to prevent entry.

Eyewitnesses reported that heavily armed Israeli police entered the mosque compound with force, shouting at worshippers to vacate the area before locking down all access points. The aggression marks the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that Al-Aqsa — Islam’s third holiest site — has been completely emptied and shuttered by Israeli forces.

The desecration of Al-Aqsa comes in the wake of Israel’s brutal aerial assault on Iran and appears to be part of a broader campaign of repression. Just hours after the attack, Israeli authorities announced a total lockdown across the occupied West Bank, intensifying their collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Checkpoints and roadblocks were abruptly closed, and many secondary roads between towns and villages were obstructed with dirt mounds, effectively severing movement across the territory. The military siege has left Palestinians cut off from their communities, livelihoods, and access to emergency services.

Palestinian rights defenders and religious leaders have condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa as a blatant act of religious desecration and a calculated provocation aimed at igniting further tension in the region. Many see the assault as part of the Israeli regime’s long-standing strategy to undermine the Islamic identity of Jerusalem and suppress Palestinian resistance through collective intimidation.

The closure of Al-Aqsa and the militarization of the West Bank underscore the ever-deepening cruelty of Israeli occupation policies, which seek to silence Palestinian voices while escalating military aggression in the region. As Israel intensifies its assaults abroad and at home, Palestinians continue to resist — with faith, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to their rights, land, and sacred sites.

Calls are mounting for the international community, particularly the Muslim world, to intervene and hold the Israeli regime accountable for its repeated violations of international law, religious sanctity, and basic human dignity. (ILKHA)