Israel mulling restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of Ramadan
Israel is considering imposing a set of new restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surrounding area in the Old City of Jerusalem ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
According to the Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, the Ministry of Defence has held a number of talks on the security plans for the area with Israel's intelligence agency Shin Bet, the police force, the prison authority and the army.
The restrictions would permit only a few thousand people to enter the mosque, a site that is typically very crowded during the fasting season.
Additionally, only certain age groups, including men over the age of 55, women over the age of 50, and children 12 and under, would be allowed entry.
Meanwhile, the communal Friday prayers will accept up to 10,000 people, with those wishing to attend needing to submit requests in advance.
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Channel 12 reported that this outline, along with other decisions, will be submitted in the coming days for consideration.
One source told the news channel that the "volatility of the Ramadan holiday" will be dependent on the situation in Gaza.
"If there is a ceasefire, then they estimate that the situation will be calm, and if not, then they will prepare with much larger forces for fear of escalation," the source added.
Attacks on worshippers
Violence against Muslim worshippers has been commonplace at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam that also holds religious significance for Jews and Christians alike.
Israel's control of occupied East Jerusalem, including the Old City, violates several principles of international law which stipulates that an occupying power has no sovereignty in the territory it occupies and cannot make any permanent changes there.
In May 2021, during Ramadan, Israeli security forces raided the mosque and attacked worshippers, wounding hundreds of people. The violence triggered fighting between Israel and Hamas that led to 10 days of relentless Israeli bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip that killed more than 250 Palestinians.
Earlier in 2022, again during Ramadan, Israeli forces conducted multiple raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque, forcibly clearing out worshippers to make way for Israeli settlers who wanted to enter the site for the Jewish Passover commemoration.
Such attacks have only heightened in recent years. In Ramadan of 2023, prior to Israel's war on Gaza, assaults and arrests escalated in the compound, sparking global condemnation.
During the violent raid that year, Israeli officers smashed doors and windows, broke the sound system, burned some of the rugs and destroyed the first-aid room, according to the Islamic Waqf, a joint Jordanian-Palestinian Islamic trust that manages the affairs of the mosque.
Dozens of worshippers were wounded by rubber-coated bullets, beatings, tear gas and stun grenades. At least 400 Palestinians were arrested.
Israeli authorities have increased their restriction on Muslims' access to the Jerusalem site since 7 October 2023, severely limiting the number of people allowed inside.
Ahead of last year's prayer to mark Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated by Muslims worldwide at the end of Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Israeli forces also stormed the courtyard of al-Aqsa Mosque.
Hundreds of people, mainly young men, were prevented at checkpoints in the Old City from reaching the religious site, with some being beaten with batons, pushed and shoved by Israeli officers.
Protecting al-Aqsa Mosque is seen by many Palestinians as a national duty, while Israel's increased presence there is seen as an attempt to claim state and religious ownership over the site.
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