As the holy month of Ramadan commenced on Wednesday, Israeli authorities announced a series of severe restrictions on Palestinian worshippers seeking to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, capping attendance at just 10,000 for weekly Friday prayers and imposing strict age limitations. The decision, announced by COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for civilian affairs in the occupied territories, permits entry only for men aged 55 and older, women aged 50 and older, and children up to age 12 accompanied by a first-degree relative. All worshippers must obtain a dedicated daily permit in advance, subject to "prior security approval," and will be required to undergo digital documentation upon returning to the West Bank. These measures represent a dramatic curtailment of access to Islam's third holiest site, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally gather during Ramadan.
Arrest of Mosque Imam Signals Escalating Crackdown
In a provocative escalation just days before Ramadan, Israeli police on Monday arrested the Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Mohammed al-Abbasi, from inside the mosque's courtyards in occupied Jerusalem. According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, the detention occurred without explanation, as part of "escalating Israeli measures against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, including restrictions on imams, preachers and worshippers stationed there". Reports indicate that al-Abbasi was subsequently served with an order banning him from the mosque, effectively silencing one of the most prominent religious voices at the holy site during the most sacred month of the Muslim calendar. The arrest has drawn widespread condemnation as a direct assault on religious leadership and freedom of worship.
Hamas Condemns "Blatant Interference"
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) issued a strong condemnation of the arrest and the accompanying restrictions, describing them as "blatant interference in the affairs of Al-Aqsa and an unacceptable assault on its imams". In a statement, Hamas characterized the escalating violations by what it termed "the fascist occupation government" as dangerous interventions aimed at "controlling and Judaizing the mosque, restricting freedom of worship there, and imposing temporal and spatial division". The movement called upon the Palestinian people "in Jerusalem, across the West Bank and inside the 1948 territories to remain stationed at Al-Aqsa, travel to it and maintain its presence, and stand as a bulwark against plans to tamper with its identity". Hamas also urgently appealed to the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Arab and Islamic nations to take practical steps to pressure the occupation and halt its violations.
Settler Incursions
Adding to the tensions, illegal Israeli settler groups announced their intention to stage daily incursions into the Al-Aqsa compound during Ramadan, entering for five hours each day except Fridays and Saturdays. These provocations, which have occurred under heavy Israeli police protection since 2003 despite repeated protests by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, will continue during the holy month, stopping only after noon prayer and during the last ten days. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have raised the security alert level across the occupied West Bank and deployed thousands of additional police officers throughout Jerusalem, particularly at the gates of the Old City and around the mosque compound. Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, Israeli military and settler operations across the West Bank have intensified dramatically, involving killings, home demolitions, displacement, and settlement expansion. For Palestinians seeking to observe Ramadan at their holiest site, the message from Israeli authorities is unmistakably one of exclusion and oppression.