JERUSALEM, 20 Feb. - (ANA) - Israeli authorities have announced a series of new restrictions on Muslim worshippers seeking to access the al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the holy month of Ramadan, a move Palestinians and rights groups say undermines the decades-long status quo governing the holy site in occupied East Jerusalem.

 

Israel police said on Wednesday that visiting hours for Jewish settlers would be extended during Ramadan, describing the change as compensation for the compound's closure at noon.

 

Traditionally, during Ramadan, the site closes to non-Muslim visitors in the afternoon to allow the Islamic Waqf, which administers the compound, to prepare for evening prayers.

 

Under the new arrangements, the compound will remain open to Jewish settlers from 6:30 am until 11:30 am on Wednesdays.

 

Dr Ismail Patel, founder of the UK-based Friends of al-Aqsa organisation, told The New Arab that the decision amounts to a "grave violation" of the long-standing status quo put in place after Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 war.

 

The longstanding arrangement stipulates that the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is a site of Muslim worship, while non-Muslims are permitted to visit but not pray there.

 

Palestinians say the frequent entry of Israeli settlers into the compound, and reports of Jewish prayers or religious rituals within its courtyards, constitute provocative breaches of that arrangement.

 

On Wednesday, the first day of Ramadan, groups of Jewish settlers stormed the compound under police protection.

 

The latest measures come amid heightened tensions at the site. Since the appointment of Major General Avshalom Paled as Jerusalem District commander of Israel Police, Palestinian officials and activists have reported an increase in violations of the status quo, including the use of prayer sheets by Jewish visitors and what they say are instances of unrestricted prayer.

 

The Palestinian Authority condemned the decision as "a blatant violation of international law and of decisions made by the relevant international community", reiterating that al-Aqsa Mosque should remain an exclusively Muslim place of worship.

 

 

 

 

Israeli police also announced new restrictions on Muslim access to the compound for Friday prayers during Ramadan, limiting attendance to 10,000 Palestinians.

 

Israel's military coordination body, COGAT, said the political leadership had approved the measures following a security assessment.

 

While Israeli authorities typically increase security measures during Ramadan, the current cap represents a significant reduction compared with previous years.

 

Under the new rules, only men aged 55 or older and women over 50 who have obtained prior permits will be allowed to enter for Friday prayers. Children under the age of 12 will be permitted to enter only if accompanied by an immediate family member.

 

Dr Patel said the measures indicate what he described as a dangerous shift in policy, drawing parallels with previous restrictions imposed at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. He argued that the steps form part of a broader pattern aimed at gradually altering realities on the ground.

 

In recent weeks, non-governmental organisations have also reported an increase in arrests and expulsion orders in occupied East Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as the capital of a future state.

 

Analysts have expressed concern that the new arrangements at al-Aqsa could extend beyond the Ramadan period.

 

Patel said the decisions appear to test the reaction of the international community and warned that the longstanding status quo at the holy site may be increasingly at risk.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/20 February 2026 - - -