Netanyahu tightens restrictions on Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan

By Said Amori and Gizem Nisa Cebi

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved strict restrictions Thursday on Palestinian worshippers' access to Al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office announced that the government has adopted a security recommendation to allow only a limited number of worshippers from the West Bank to enter the mosque, following the same mechanism used last year.

Under the new restrictions, only men over the age of 55, women over 50 and children under 12 will be permitted to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque.

However, access will be contingent upon obtaining prior security clearance and undergoing thorough security checks at designated checkpoints.

The decision coincides with ongoing daily incursions by hundreds of Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month alongside increasing restrictions on Palestinians traveling from the West Bank.

Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have imposed strict measures limiting Palestinians’ access from the West Bank to East Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, the Israeli police have announced the deployment of additional security forces in the occupied city during Ramadan.

Palestinians view these restrictions as part of Israel’s broader efforts to Judaize East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity.