(Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)Eight Islamic and Arab countries on Thursday condemned Israel for keeping Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem closed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israel has shut all holy sites in east Jerusalem’s Old City for security reasons after it began airstrikes with the United States against Iran that have sparked a regional war. The closure coincides with Ramadan, when tens of thousands of Palestinian Muslims would normally pray every Friday at the mosque — the third holiest site in Islam. Since the start of the war, the Israeli authorities have, for security reasons, barred access to the Old City for anyone other than residents or shopowners. The eight foreign ministers said that “Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites” and urged the government to lift the ban on access.

Source: Punch March 12, 2026 16:02 UTC