Photo courtesy of WAFA news agency.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster, security forces entered an unprecedented state of alert on Wednesday, the first day of Ramadan. Preparations include the deployment of thousands of Israeli police officers throughout Jerusalem, particularly at the gates of the Old City and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site.
Authorities cited concerns over potential clashes in flashpoint areas, especially the Old City and the mosque compound.
Israeli officials also reinforced commando units in various parts of the West Bank.
Israel announced it would permit 10,000 Palestinian worshippers from the West Bank to attend weekly Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa during Ramadan.
However, access to the mosque compound has been restricted to men aged 55 and older, women aged 50 and older, and children up to 12 when accompanied by a first-degree relative.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli authorities had prevented the Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian-run body responsible for administering the site, from carrying out routine Ramadan preparations, including installing shade structures and setting up temporary medical clinics.
Sheikh Muhammad Al-Abbasi, a senior imam at Al-Aqsa, told AFP that he had been barred from entering the compound.
“I have been banned from the mosque for a week, and the order can be renewed,” he said, adding that he was not informed of the reason for the restriction, which took effect on Monday.
Additional measures during Ramadan have included arrests of Palestinians on allegations of “incitement,” increased monitoring of social media platforms, and the operation of a special command centre to track what authorities describe as calls for violence or unauthorized gatherings.
Israeli forces have also continued to pursue Palestinian workers and restrict their access to workplaces by closing several roads north of Jerusalem, particularly around the separation barrier.
Palestinian religious and political leaders in Jerusalem have condemned the measures as a “dangerous escalation.”
In a joint meeting held at the Jerusalem Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization, they described the restrictions as a “blatant and unacceptable interference” with the fundamental right to worship, protected under international law and religious principles.
They further accused Israel of attempting to impose a new reality at Al-Aqsa by force.
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