Palestinian worshippers forced to pray in street as Israel bars Eid access to Al-Aqsa

Palestinian worshippers forced to pray in street as Israel bars Eid access to Al-Aqsa Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Fri, 03/20/2026 - 13:41 Israeli authorities seal off mosque and Old City during Eid prayers for first time since 1967 Muslim worshippers pray by a road to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, as Israel barred them from Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, Jerusalem, 20 March 2026 (Ammar Awad/Reuters) Off Israeli authorities have barred Palestinian worshippers from accessing Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City for Eid al-Fitr prayers for the first time since 1967. On Friday morning, Israeli police barricaded the complex’s gates, barring worshippers from gathering near the site and forcing them to pray outside the Old City. In an unprecedented move since Israel seized East Jerusalem in 1967, the Israeli authorities have effectively sealed off the complex to Muslim worshippers throughout Ramadan, using security concerns amid the war on Iran as a pretext.