Religious tensions at Al-Aqsa Mosque

Tensions have escalated regarding the religious and legal status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem. Hamas has condemned Israeli measures, specifically those led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to permit Jewish prayer books and collective prayers within the site, accusing the Israeli government of attempting to ‘Judaize’ the mosque.

Concurrently, the Jerusalem Governorate and the Palestinian Presidency have issued warnings against what they describe as systematic policies intended to create a new de facto situation at the site. These reported actions include frequent raids, religious rituals in the courtyards, restrictions on Muslim access, and underground excavation works. Palestinian officials emphasized that these provocations, occurring on the 57th anniversary of the 1969 arson attack on the mosque, threaten the sanctity of both Islamic and Christian holy sites and violate international law.

Recent developments include official permission for settlers to bring Jewish prayer books into the site and perform collective religious rituals. Sheikh Akrama Sabri, the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque and head of the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem, warned that these measures are part of a gradual policy to impose a new reality within the mosque and undermine its Arab and Islamic identity. Sabri stated that these actions are linked to broader Israeli plans in Jerusalem, including settlement expansion aimed at isolating the mosque from its Palestinian and Islamic surroundings, cautioning that collective rituals could turn temporary exceptions into permanent rules.