Jerusalem: Palestinian officials have raised concerns over Israeli restrictions on prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, describing these actions as violations of freedom of worship and attempts to assert control over these significant religious sites. Israel has maintained the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem since the onset of US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, while restricting access to the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank to about 50 worshippers.
According to Anadolu Agency, Maarouf al-Rifai, media advisor to the Governorate of Jerusalem, highlighted that Israeli authorities have kept Al-Aqsa closed for 13 consecutive days, preventing worshippers from performing prayers during the final 10 days of Ramadan. Al-Rifai emphasized that Israel prevented two consecutive Friday prayers at the site, including the last Friday of Ramadan, calling these measures an infringement on freedom of worship and an escalation targeting the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Al-Rifai also expressed concerns over calls by illegal settler groups to increase incursions into the mosque compound during the Jewish holiday of Passover, from April 1 to 8. He underscored that the continued closure obstructs thousands of worshippers from reaching the mosque for Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night in Islam, during Ramadan's final days. Al-Rifai argued that these actions are not security measures but systematic political decisions aimed at imposing control over Al-Aqsa and undermining the Islamic Waqf Department's role in Jerusalem.
In Hebron, Ibrahimi Mosque Director Moataz Abu Sneineh reported that Israeli authorities have imposed strict restrictions on prayers at the mosque, allowing only 50 worshippers per prayer session since the previous Friday. Abu Sneineh condemned these measures as arbitrary and in violation of international law and freedom of worship, calling for unrestricted access to the mosque for all worshippers. He stated that the mosque is an Islamic endowment belonging solely to Muslims and should be open to all worshippers.
Abu Sneineh noted that Israel had completely closed the mosque at the start of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran but partially reopened it last Friday. The Ibrahimi Mosque was divided in 1994, allocating a majority of the site to Jewish worshippers following a massacre by a settler that year. The mosque is typically fully opened to Muslim worshippers only 10 days each year, including specific religious occasions like Ramadan and Eid. During Ramadan's final days, the mosque is generally crowded with worshippers, and it remains uncertain if Israel will allow full access this year.
The Ibrahimi Mosque is situated in Hebron's Old City, an area under full Israeli control, compounding the complexities surrounding access and worship at the site.