*FULL ISRAELI CLOSURE OF AL-AQSA: TH GRAVE DANGERS* The Israeli regime seizes every opportunity to assert itself as the sovereign authority over the holy sites of Al-Quds — especially Masjid al-Aqsa , which extremist Temple groups regard as a Jewish holy site on which the so-called “Third Temple” should be built. According to academic and former head of media and public relations at Masjid al-Aqsa, Abdullah Marouf, Israel never misses an opportunity to entrench a reality in which it exercises full sovereignty over Al-Aqsa. Speaking to AlJazeera.Net, Marouf recalled the siege imposed on Al-Aqsa when the war on Gaza broke out in October 2023 — now repeated, but with even harsher restrictions during the current assault on Iran. “The Israeli army treats Masjid al-Aqsa in the same way it treats areas under full Israeli sovereignty — it sees the holy mosque as Tel Aviv,” says the Palestinian academic. “It believes it has the right to impose its directives and authority over it at any time, even though the new Home Front instructions were not imposed on residents of the occupied West Bank.” According to Marouf, the occupation seeks to send a message to the Muslim world that Al-Aqsa is no longer a special jurisdiction in terms of sovereignty and administration — rather, it is now an integral part of the State of Israel, dealt with as such. This means that in the coming period, Israel will likely take more steps to assert full sovereignty and treat Al-Aqsa as purely Israeli land, where Muslims have no claim. This, he says, is the real danger. *Restrictions on Christian sites* Simultaneously with the closure of the Islamic holy site, the Israeli police barred Christian worshippers from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City and banned people from being in its outdoor courtyards. The former head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Monastery in Ramallah, said the measures imposed by Israel on the ground cannot be separated from the assault on Iran. “We have now entered a new and critical phase of the conflict,” he added, “one that may change the overall landscape.” Speaking to AlJazeera.Net, Father Julyo stressed that the war — since the establishment of Israel — has always been, and remains, a struggle over sovereignty. “This state pays no regard to Jordanian custodianship over holy sites.” *Targeting of the Old City Economy* As with every security escalation, Israeli police insisted on tightening restrictions on residents and merchants of the Old City. Barriers were erected at its gates from the early hours of the assault, just as worshippers began trying to reach Al-Aqsa for Friday prayer. Worshippers were barred from entering, and non-resident merchants were prevented from reaching their shops — leaving the markets deserted, with most shop doors closed due to access restrictions. Jerusalemites compared the deserted ancient markets of the Old City with those in the western part of Jerusalem (Jewish majority), bustling with shoppers as though the Home Front instructions did not apply there. Commenting on this, Ziad Hammouri, Director of the Jerusalem Center for Economic and Social Rights, said that Jerusalem’s economy is under systematic targeting, especially the commercial sector in the Old City, which has long been at the heart of this assault. The closure of 500 shops was no accident — it is the result of ongoing pressure that has lasted for decades. “The siege on the Old City is deliberate and calculated. Any situation is used to pressure residents and merchants into leaving, especially as hardships mount,” says Hammouri. “This geographic area has become a primary target during every confrontation, Jewish holiday, or even health crisis.” Source: Al Jazeera *Palestine Information Network*