A serious situation emerged in occupied Jerusalem during the month of February regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Ibrahimi Mosque (Al-Khalil). In its monthly report, the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs stated that with the beginning of Ramadan, a “dangerous and unprecedented escalation” in Israeli actions was recorded.
According to the report, during February, Israeli police forces and settlers entered the compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque more than 24 times. Meanwhile, the call to prayer was blocked 45 times at the Ibrahimi Mosque.
The ministry stated that the incidents of entry into the Al-Aqsa Mosque occurred almost daily during the morning and evening hours, involving thousands of people. On some occasions, public Talmudic rituals were reportedly performed inside the mosque compound, such as prostration, singing, dancing, and displaying printed prayers.
The ministry described this as an attempt to alter the historical status of the mosque.
In addition, the report stated that the highest number of entry incidents was recorded on February 17 and 18, coinciding with the beginning of the Hebrew month. Israeli forces imposed strict restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshippers, prevented hundreds of people from accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and carried out intensive checks at the gates of the Old City, particularly at Bab al-Sahira and Bab al-Silsila.
Incidents of entry were also recorded near the Qibli prayer hall and close to the Dome of the Rock during Friday prayers and sermons. During some Fridays of Ramadan, the number of worshippers was reported to have exceeded one hundred thousand, while a large number of people also participated in the evening and Taraweeh prayers.
The report also mentions that Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the month along with the police chief and senior officials, where he held a meeting.
According to the ministry, his statements about “imposing sovereignty” during Ramadan further heightened tensions.
Regarding the Ibrahimi Mosque, the report stated that in addition to the blocking of the call to prayer, noisy ceremonies were also held in the section under Israeli control. The mosque’s eastern gate and the entrance leading toward the market were repeatedly closed, and some staff members were prevented from entering.
The report also stated that during the first two Fridays of Ramadan, ambulances and the Palestine Red Crescent Society relief teams were prevented from reaching the mosque.
From the eleventh day of Ramadan, Israeli authorities reportedly closed the mosque completely to Muslim worshippers, citing the ongoing Israel–Iran war.
In addition, the report mentions that other places of worship were also targeted. A section of the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque, located in the village of Tel south of Nablus, was set on fire, and racist slogans were written on its walls.
Meanwhile, at the church in Ein Karem, west of Jerusalem, offensive slogans were reportedly written on the walls and on nearby parked vehicles.
In its conclusion, the ministry stated that the incidents in February reflect a deliberate policy aimed at imposing a temporal and spatial division at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and altering its Islamic identity.
It also warned that the continuously rising tensions could pose a serious threat to the holy sites and called for immediate international intervention.