Israel Escalates Al-Aqsa Restrictions, Barring Palestinian Leaders While Allowing Jewish Prayer

Palestinian Muslim men were seen in the grounds of the Dome of the Rock at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, Islam’s third holiest site, located in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. For over two years, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, a prominent Palestinian preacher and head of the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem, has been prohibited from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque. His latest exclusion order, extended until April 2027, is part of a pattern of Israeli restrictions at the site, which is also a significant Palestinian national symbol.

Sabri has been subjected to repeated exclusion orders since August 2024. The most recent order, issued on October 20, prevents him from praying or delivering sermons at Al-Aqsa until April 2027. Concurrently, far-right Jewish religious activists are increasingly permitted to pray at the site under Israeli police protection, a departure from the established status quo and against the views of ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious authorities.

These restrictions intensified after Israeli police detained Sabri in August 2024 following a sermon where he commemorated the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel. Sabri, a key figure among Palestinians in East Jerusalem, has undergone numerous Israeli interrogations, which Palestinians interpret as a deliberate campaign against them at Al-Aqsa.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center, a Palestinian human rights monitoring group, reports that Israeli authorities have issued over 1,000 exclusion orders since the beginning of 2026, barring Palestinians, including religious figures and Islamic Waqf employees, from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City. The center documented an increase in these orders, with more than 40 issued over five days in early September, preceding Jewish holidays.

Sheikh Sabri stated that the latest extension marks the fifth exclusion order against him. He condemned the decision as unjust, illegal, inhumane, and uncivilized, aimed at silencing dissent regarding Al-Aqsa. He affirmed his commitment to defending Al-Aqsa, emphasizing its integral role in his Islamic faith. "These measures are aimed at diminishing the Palestinian presence at the mosque, while simultaneously allowing settlers to carry out incursions in large numbers," Sabri commented. "Such actions represent an aggressive policy targeting the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Islamic presence within it."

In a separate incident, Ibrahim al-Natsheh was released by Israeli police earlier this month after a week in detention. He was arrested while attending funeral prayers for his cousin at Al-Aqsa Mosque and subsequently handed a six-month exclusion order barring him from East Jerusalem’s Old City, with no specific charges mentioned. Al-Natsheh reported receiving numerous exclusion orders and noted that restrictions began approximately nine years ago, following an Israeli crackdown on Islamic study circles at the mosque. Students, teachers, and activists involved in these circles have faced arrests and exclusion orders. "The orders banning us from the mosque provide no specific reason; they simply cite ‘disturbing the peace’, even though we are there solely to pray," al-Natsheh stated. He also mentioned receiving warnings ahead of Jewish holidays, cautioning him and other worshippers against approaching the mosque.

Even without formal exclusion orders, al-Natsheh described being prevented from entering Al-Aqsa by Israeli police, facing arrests at the gates, and experiencing physical abuse while in detention. "The path to the mosque has become incredibly difficult; it is swarming with soldiers and settlers," he said. "We are denied the ability to reach it with any ease, and if we try, we face arrest and beatings with batons. It is deeply painful to witness what is happening to Al-Aqsa now." Al Jazeera has sought comment from Israeli authorities but has not yet received a response.

Al-Aqsa Mosque has experienced heightened Israeli restrictions throughout 2026. Following the war on Iran, initiated by the United States and Israel on February 28, Israeli authorities closed Al-Aqsa to most worshippers for 40 days, reopening on April 9. Between July and September, nearly 28,000 visits by Israeli settlers were recorded at Al-Aqsa, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate.

Ma’rouf al-Rifai, an adviser to the Jerusalem Governorate, noted that Israeli restrictions on Muslim worshippers intensified during recent Jewish holidays. These included mosque closures, prevention of noon prayers on at least one occasion, and restricted access for Old City residents during visits by Israeli settlers and Jewish religious activists. Al-Rifai highlighted the increasing constraints on the Islamic Waqf Department's role in managing the mosque. Israeli police have reportedly prevented Waqf officials from accompanying Jewish groups, curtailed the authority of mosque guards, and arrested or barred several employees. The number of guards on duty during the morning shift has dropped significantly, from approximately 50 to fewer than 15.

The 40-day closure of the mosque during the war with Iran occurred without consultation or prior notification to the Waqf, underscoring its diminished administrative role. Al-Rifai observed a shift in settler incursions over the past three years, now including Jewish prayers, religious rituals, flag-raising, and attempts to bring in sacrificial offerings. These actions challenge longstanding arrangements where the Waqf manages Muslim religious affairs and Israeli police handle security and access.

Al-Rifai also mentioned that Israeli authorities have hindered restoration work at the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall and restricted maintenance of the compound’s trees and gardens. The committee responsible for restoration has been unable to function for years. He warned of ongoing efforts to alter the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing proposals for Jewish visitors on Saturdays, plans to divide access to parts of the site between Muslims and Jews, and a recruitment drive for volunteers to escort Israeli incursions. Al-Rifai cautioned that these developments signify a further erosion of the Waqf’s authority and could fundamentally change the arrangements governing worship and access at the holy site.