Israel closes Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslims for over a month, allowing settlers access

Israel has closed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem to Muslim worshippers for more than one month while Israeli ministers and settlers continue entering the compound under police protection. The extended closure affects one of Islam's holiest sites and prevents hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Muslims from accessing the mosque during a religiously sensitive period. Human rights organizations characterize the restrictions as discriminatory and part of a coordinated effort to shift control over the compound, escalating long-standing tensions over Jerusalem's most contested religious site. The closure reflects deeper disputes over Palestinian access to holy sites and Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territories.