Jerusalem: Israel said it is preparing to reopen Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied East Jerusalem starting Thursday morning, after closing them since Feb. 28.

According to Anadolu Agency, in a statement released Wednesday, Israeli police announced they are “preparing to reopen the holy sites to worshippers and visitors starting Thursday morning, April 9,” following updated Home Front Command guidelines. Police indicated that hundreds of officers and border guards will be deployed in Jerusalem’s Old City and on roads leading to the sites to secure visitors.

The Islamic Waqf Department stated that Al-Aqsa Mosque will reopen for dawn prayers, allowing entry for all, though they did not provide additional details. The sites had been closed since Feb. 28 as a precautionary measure during the war involving Israel, the US, and Iran, a decision that also led to the prevention of the Eid al-Fitr prayer at Al-Aqsa, marking a first since Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.