JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities are planning to restrict Muslim access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, a senior Palestinian religious leader said, warning that the measures would limit worshippers and heighten tensions in occupied East Jerusalem.
Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, former grand mufti of Jerusalem and head of the Supreme Islamic Council, said in an interview with Anadolu that Israeli authorities were preparing to impose stricter controls at Islam’s third-holiest site as Ramadan begins midweek.
“Muslims welcome Ramadan with optimism, following the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad,” Sabri said. “But regarding Jerusalem, we regret the harsh measures the occupying authorities will impose on Muslims coming to Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
He said dozens of young Palestinian men had already been barred from entering the mosque compound and that authorities had indicated they would not ease restrictions for worshippers arriving from the occupied West Bank during Ramadan.
“This means there will be tighter restrictions,” Sabri said. “The number of worshippers at Al-Aqsa will be lower than in previous years. This contradicts freedom of worship and disrupts Muslims’ observance of the fasting month.”
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank typically travel to East Jerusalem during Ramadan to pray at Al-Aqsa. However, since the war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have tightened security measures at military checkpoints, sharply limiting access to Jerusalem.
In recent years, only small numbers of West Bank residents have received Israeli army-issued permits, which Palestinians say are difficult to obtain. No special arrangements for Ramadan have been publicly announced this year.
According to Sabri, Israeli authorities have also issued temporary orders against hundreds of Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem—most of them young men—banning them from entering Al-Aqsa during Ramadan. Some of the orders extend for up to six months.
The reported measures come amid criticism from Palestinian officials who accuse Israel’s right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of seeking to alter the long-standing “status quo” governing the holy site.
Tensions around Al-Aqsa have frequently flared, with Israeli police allowing Jewish visitors, including nationalist activists, to enter the mosque compound under police protection. The Islamic Waqf Department, which administers the site under a historical arrangement, has repeatedly called for such visits to be halted.
Sabri said recent developments signal a broader shift.
“There is no doubt the right-wing government aims to implement its aggressive plan regarding Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said. “For years, they demanded public entries, open prayers, the use of ritual horns, and prostration. What were once hidden ambitions have now become public.”
He added that Palestinians fear Israel seeks to impose sovereignty over the compound and reduce the authority of the Islamic Waqf.
Sabri also criticised Israeli demolition policies in Palestinian neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem, particularly areas near the mosque compound, calling them unjust and discriminatory.
He urged Arab and Muslim leaders to take greater responsibility for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, calling on Islamic nations to extend support to Palestinians in the city during Ramadan.
Israeli authorities have not publicly detailed specific Ramadan arrangements at the time of reporting.
