Islamic organizations and bodies in Occupied Jerusalem on Friday announced that all the mosques in the city will be closed during Eid al-Adha except al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Palestinian organizations said in a statement that they will close all mosques across Jerusalem only allowing Eid prayers to take place at al-Aqsa in a bid to protect the site against planned settler raids.
The statement stressed that the step comes in response to an announcement by the Israeli police that they would conduct an “assessment” of the situation at al-Aqsa in the early hours of Eid al-Adha to decide whether to allow Israeli settlers to enter the mosque.
The statement called on the Palestinians to intensify their presence in al-Aqsa Mosque on the first day of Eid to protect the holy site.
Several extremist settler groups especially the Temple Mount organization have called on the Israeli government to allow settler tours inside al-Aqsa Mosque during Eid al-Adha and to prevent the entry of Muslim worshipers during that time.
