Israel Sets Ramadan Prayer Restrictions at Al-Aqsa

Israel has announced that prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during the upcoming month of Ramadan will be subject to "standard security restrictions."

During Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians gather at the Al-Aqsa compound, Islam’s third holiest site, particularly for Friday prayers.

The mosque is located in East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed.

At a press conference on Thursday, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer responded to questions regarding restrictions at Al-Aqsa during Ramadan, expected to begin on Saturday, stating that "the usual public safety measures will be in place, as they are every year."

Last Ramadan, Israel imposed age restrictions, barring men under 55, women under 50, and children over 10 from entering the mosque during prayer times.

Jewish tradition holds that Al-Aqsa stands on the ruins of the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Known to Jews as the "Temple Mount," the site is considered the holiest in Judaism.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, a key flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is administered by Jordan’s Islamic Waqf, while Israeli forces control its entry points.

Under the status quo established after Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, non-Muslims are allowed to visit the site at designated times but are not permitted to pray there.

However, in recent years, hardline Jewish groups have increasingly challenged this arrangement by conducting religious rituals at the compound.

Palestinians and Jordan’s Ministry of Religious Endowments view these visits as provocations.

Even minor incidents at Al-Aqsa have the potential to inflame tensions. In recent years, Ramadan has seen violent clashes between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli security forces at the mosque.