Pakistan Dawn
Hundreds Celebrate Al‑Aqsa Mosque Reopening After Forty‑Day Shutdown Following Israel's
Apr 09, 11:53 AM PKT
On April 9, 2026 the Al‑Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem reopened after a 40‑day Israeli‑imposed shutdown. At dawn the gates of the Al‑Haram al‑Sharif compound were opened, and hundreds of Palestinian Muslims entered, many breaking into tears and performing prostrations of gratitude in the courtyards. Photographs showed worshippers praying before the Dome of the Rock, using phones, and a woman among the crowd, all amid a two‑week cease‑fire in the Iran war. Read on dawn.com