The beginning of the joint American-Israeli campaign against Iran has caught the Muslim world as a whole, including Palestinians and Arab citizens of Israel, in the midst of the month of Ramadan. Due to the emergency situation, the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City were closed this morning, Saturday, to visitors and tourists, and entry was permitted only to residents. Access to the Temple Mount compound was banned and those who were present at the Al Aqsa Mosque at the time were urgently evacuated.
Why Were Thousands of Worshippers Removed from Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount?
When the first siren sounded around 8:00 a.m. and news arrived of the beginning of the strike in Iran, thousands of Palestinians and Arab citizens of Israel were inside the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount. They had arrived at the compound before dawn for the Fajr (morning) prayer of the 11th day of Ramadan.
Following the Home Front Command directive prohibiting mass gatherings in public spaces, Jerusalem District police officers were urgently dispatched to the compound and began swiftly escorting thousands of worshippers out. After the evacuation, the heavy gates of the Temple Mount were bolted shut and have remained closed since, with no one allowed to enter.
Later in the morning, police were sent to instruct merchants in the dozens of shops and businesses scattered throughout the Old City to close in order to prevent crowding. At the same time, officers were deployed to the gates of the Old City, including Jaffa Gate, Damascus Gate and Lions’ Gate, where barriers were set up. Entry was prohibited to visitors and tourists and permitted only to residents living within the Old City.
It should be noted that until now, during the first ten days of Ramadan, tens of thousands of worshippers attended each of the three main daily prayers. For example, according to an estimate by the Waqf administration, about 100,000 worshippers attended Friday’s noon prayer yesterday, while approximately 90,000 people took part in the Taraweeh (evening) prayer marking the end of the fast.
Palestinian sources state that crossings from the West Bank into Jerusalem have also been closed, and that the Allenby Bridge crossing to Jordan has been shut. There is, however, no confirmation of this at this stage from Israeli sources.
ברקע המלחמה עם איראן ובעיצומו של הרמדאן: העיר העתיקה בירושלים נסגרת, מתפללים פונו ממסגד אל אקצא pic.twitter.com/Pr89mPzGFt
— jerusalem online (@Jlmonline) February 28, 2026
