09/04/2026
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09/04/2026
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JERUSALEM, Apr 9: Worship resumed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday with dawn prayers after weeks of closure during the Iran-related conflict, according to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, which administers the compound.
Israeli police said all restrictions on holy sites across the Old City of Jerusalem would be lifted starting Thursday morning, with increased deployment of hundreds of officers and volunteers to manage access and security.
The reopening marks the end of a period in which access to major Christian, Jewish, and Muslim holy sites was either fully prohibited or limited to small numbers of worshippers amid missile exchanges that repeatedly sent residents of Jerusalem into shelters.
The wartime restrictions significantly disrupted religious observances, affecting Lent, Passover, and Ramadan celebrations across some of the most significant spiritual locations for Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
With the easing of restrictions, religious life is set to return to normal just ahead of Orthodox Easter celebrations this Sunday, following earlier observances by Catholic and Protestant communities.
