Overview
- Police sealed Old City approaches, blocked entry to the Al-Aqsa compound and forced hundreds to hold brief street prayers before using tear gas, stun grenades and physical force to disperse crowds.
- Home Front Command restrictions included a nationwide ban on gatherings over 50 people and parallel closures at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall.
- Israeli police reported shrapnel falling near the Old City this week, with additional fragments landing Friday after missile interceptions in Jerusalem’s vicinity.
- Eight Muslim‑majority governments publicly condemned the closure and urged reopening, calling the move a violation of international law.
- Palestinians described the step as an unprecedented escalation, with reports of strict limits on Waqf staffing and the arrest of Imam Sheikh Ekrima Sabri fueling fears of long‑term erosion of the site’s access arrangements.