An Iranian missile struck Jerusalem on Eid al-Fitr, landing just a few hundred metres from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as hundreds of Muslim worshippers were forced to hold their Eid prayers outside the locked gates of the Old City, barred from entering for the first time in nearly 60 years.
Israel said on Saturday that an Iranian missile had struck Jerusalem during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, just metres away from some of the holiest sites in the world for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike.
“An Iranian missile struck Jerusalem during Eid al-Fitr, a few hundred meters from the holiest sites for Muslims, Christians and Jews. This is the true face of the Mullahs’ so-called ‘religious’ regime,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X.
On Friday, a blast left a crater in a hillside just inside Jerusalem’s Old City, spraying debris across a road after warnings of incoming Iranian missiles.
The Israel Defense Forces said the impact was felt right near the Temple Mount. “The Old City in Jerusalem, right near the Temple Mount, was impacted by Iranian missile fragments. The Iranian regime once again proves they fire indiscriminately, whether at civilian areas or holy sites, all with the intention of destroying the State of Israel,” the IDF said in a statement.
Hundreds of Muslim worshippers gathered at the gates of the Old City to hold Eid prayers outside, unable to reach the Al-Aqsa mosque itself. Israel had closed access to the site over security concerns related to the ongoing war with Iran.
“Today, Al-Aqsa has been taken from us. It’s a sad and painful Ramadan,” said Wajdi Mohammed Shweiki, a Palestinian man in his sixties, speaking to AFP outside the gates.
“It’s a catastrophic situation for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for Palestinians in general and for all Muslims across the globe,” he added.
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