According to reports, Sheikh Ikrema Sabri, the Imam and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, stated in an interview with Al Jazeera that the occupying authorities have been planning for about a month to limit the access of worshippers to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
The Imam emphasized that the occupiers are dissatisfied with the potential presence of thousands of Muslims at Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing security reasons as their justification for these restrictions. He further explained that these plans aim to diminish the Muslim presence in Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa Mosque.Sheikh Sabri described the actions of the occupying regime this Ramadan as unprecedented, noting that the measures this year are more severe than in previous years. In line with this, the Jerusalem governorate reported that the occupiers are preventing Palestinian citizens from entering Jerusalem through the Qalandia checkpoint, claiming that the capacity for entry has been reached.
As Ramadan approaches, the restrictions and pressures imposed by the Israeli regime on Palestinian worshippers and those fasting at Al-Aqsa Mosque have intensified, particularly since the onset of the genocidal war against Gaza in October 2023. Security assessments by the regime indicate a likelihood of escalating tensions and clashes with Palestinians in Jerusalem.Published information by the Jerusalem governorate reveals a significant increase in expulsion orders issued against Palestinians before Ramadan by the Israeli regime. This is part of a broader policy aimed at reducing the number of Palestinian worshippers and imposing a new reality at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The governorate announced that approximately 300 individuals have been expelled from the city by the occupiers prior to Ramadan, with accurate statistics being difficult to ascertain due to many expulsion orders being issued via phone or electronic requests without formal written notifications.On another note Ma’ruf Al-Rifai the spokesperson for the Jerusalem governorate highlighted that the city has witnessed a dangerous escalation in expulsion orders against Palestinians by the occupiers. They have issued a collective expulsion order targeting youth aged 21 to 25 directly aiming at the young population of Jerusalem.
