Jerusalem: Israeli authorities will put the preacher of East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, on trial on Tuesday on charges of 'incitement.' The Magistrate's Court in Jerusalem will review the indictment file submitted by the Israeli Public Prosecution against Sheikh Ekrima on charges of incitement since July 2024, his defense office said in a statement.

According to Anadolu Agency, the defense team stated that the 86-year-old preacher faces charges of incitement to terrorism following his condolences for the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an Israeli airstrike in Iran in 2024 and the deaths of Palestinians by Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank in 2022. In August 2024, Israeli police banned the preacher from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque for six months due to these condolences.

The defense team further alleged that the trial is part of a series of arbitrary measures and political, religious, and ideological persecution against Sheikh Ekrima in recent years, which includes banning him from Al-Aqsa Mosque, imposing a travel ban, and issuing an order to demolish his home. They claimed the trial results from extensive incitement campaigns waged against him by far-right parties and organizations.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly taken measures against Sheikh Ekrima over his sermons in support of Gaza. Officials in Tel Aviv, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, have continued the incitement against him.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. However, Jews refer to the area as Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.