The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine has strongly condemned the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the denial of Palestinians’ right to perform prayers and celebrate Eid al-Fitr within its sacred grounds, describing the measures as a grave violation of freedom of worship and an unjustifiable collective punishment.
For 19 consecutive days, Al-Aqsa Mosque has remained effectively sealed off, isolated, and emptied of worshippers under a baseless security pretext. This unprecedented restriction has prevented thousands of Palestinians from observing one of the most significant religious occasions of the year in one of Islam’s holiest sites.
In a statement issued by Member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for
Church Affairs, Dr. Ramzi Khouri, the Committee warned that these measures in occupied Jerusalem—particularly in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—are part of deliberate efforts to impose a dangerous new status quo. These actions, it noted, appear aimed at facilitating new arrangements during the upcoming Jewish holidays, in direct violation of the longstanding historical and legal status of Jerusalem’s holy sites.
The Committee further emphasized that these violations are not confined to Jerusalem but extend across the entirety of the occupied Palestinian territory. In the besieged Gaza Strip, the humanitarian catastrophe continues to intensify amid ongoing displacement, killing, and deprivation. In the West Bank, cities and refugee camps are witnessing escalating violence by both settlers and occupation forces, alongside expanding settlement activity, tightening movement restrictions through checkpoints and military gates, and mounting economic pressure on the Palestinian people.
The Committee underscored that these grave violations are unfolding in the context of deeply concerning international inaction. It criticized what it described as a shameful pattern of silence and complicity, whereby the Israeli government is not being held accountable despite policies that aim to displace Palestinians and undermine their fundamental national rights. At the same time, it noted that key global actors remain preoccupied with advancing their own interests at the expense of justice and international law.
In its concluding remarks, the Committee expressed hope that future observances of this blessed holiday will coincide with the realization of the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations, foremost among them the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. It also extended prayers for mercy upon the martyrs, healing for the wounded, and the swift release of prisoners.
