Al-Azhar condemns continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque gates during Ramadan

CAIRO - 13 MARCH 2026: Al-Azhar has strongly condemned Israel’s continued closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers during Ramadan, calling it a provocation to the feelings of Muslims worldwide and a serious violation of international law.

In a statement echoed by the Muslim Council of Elders, chaired by Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb, the council said shutting worshippers out of the holy site during the month of Ramadan amounts to a “flagrant violation” of freedom of worship.

Al-Azhar said such actions target the Islamic identity of Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem, and it renewed its position that Al-Aqsa is an exclusively Muslim place of worship, urging the international community, and Arab and Islamic countries, to act to protect the site and ensure worshippers can pray freely and safely.

The condemnation comes as regional reactions have widened.

Earlier this week, Egypt and seven other Muslim-majority countries issued a joint statement denouncing the continued closure and restrictions around Jerusalem’s Old City, describing the measure as a clear breach of international law and the historical and legal status quo.