Israeli occupation forces forced worshippers to leave Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem after the dawn prayer on Friday, preventing them from remaining inside before closing its gates.

Local sources reported that members of the Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque following the dawn prayer, forcing worshippers to leave and then closing the mosque’s gates.

According to the sources, this is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the occupation has emptied the mosque of worshippers and closed its gates.

The closure of the mosque comes in conjunction with the Israeli army’s announcement of a full closure of the West Bank, just hours after Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran.