Palestinians face growing bans from Al-Aqsa as Israel tightens control | Israel-Palestine conflict News
Palestinian Preacher Faces Extended Ban from Al-Aqsa Mosque
Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the head of the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem, has been barred from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for over two years. His exclusion, which restricts him from praying or delivering sermons at the site, has been extended until April 2027.
The latest ban, issued on October 20, prohibits Sabri from accessing Al-Aqsa, the third holiest site in Islam and a significant Palestinian national symbol. Since August 2024, he has faced a series of exclusion orders, beginning after his detention for a sermon mourning the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by Israeli forces.
In contrast, far-right Jewish activists have increasingly gained permission to pray at Al-Aqsa under Israeli police protection, creating tension with ultra-Orthodox authorities who oppose such activities. Palestinians argue that these restrictions form part of a broader campaign against their presence at the mosque.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, a Palestinian human rights organization, Israeli authorities have issued over 1,000 exclusion orders against Palestinians at Al-Aqsa and the Old City since the beginning of 2026, affecting religious leaders and Islamic Waqf employees. The group reported a surge of exclusion orders issued just prior to Jewish holidays, with more than 40 documented in five days in early September.
Sabri has described the ongoing order against him as the fifth such instance and labeled the decision as unjust. He stated that the measures aim to suppress voices advocating for Al-Aqsa and insisted he would continue to defend the site, which he views as integral to his Islamic faith.
“The actions are intended to diminish the Palestinian presence at the mosque while allowing settlers to conduct large incursions,” he said. “This represents an aggressive policy targeting the Islamic character of Al-Aqsa.”
In a separate incident, Ibrahim al-Natsheh was released from Israeli custody earlier this month. He had been detained for a week after attending funeral prayers for his cousin at Al-Aqsa. Following his arrest, al-Natsheh was served a six-month exclusion order barring him from the Old City without any specific charges. He reported that similar exclusion orders have been commonplace for him, with restrictions beginning nearly a decade ago amid a crackdown on Islamic study activities at the mosque.
Despite the challenges, al-Natsheh expressed frustration with the vague reasoning behind the exclusion orders, which often cite “disturbing the peace” even when attendees are primarily there to pray. He noted that even in the absence of formal restrictions, he has faced police barriers when trying to access Al-Aqsa and has endured arrests and violence.
“The path to the mosque has become incredibly difficult, filled with soldiers and settlers,” he said. “Attempting to reach the mosque has become a perilous endeavor.”
Al Jazeera has reached out to Israeli authorities for comment regarding these unfolding events but has not yet received a response.
Al-Aqsa Mosque Sees Escalation of Restrictions
Throughout 2026, restrictions and violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque have escalated, particularly following military actions linked to the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran. After the onset of hostilities in late February, authorities closed the mosque to most worshippers for 40 days, reopening on April 9.
The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate reported that between July and September, nearly 28,000 visits by Israeli settlers occurred at Al-Aqsa. During recent Jewish holidays, reports indicated intensified restrictions on Muslim worshippers, including temporary closures of the mosque and limited access for Old City residents.
Ma’rouf al-Rifai, an adviser to the Jerusalem Governorate, noted that these escalated measures had further constrained the authority of the Islamic Waqf, which oversees mosque management. He indicated that Waqf officials have been obstructed from accompanying Jewish groups during their visits, resulting in a drastic reduction in the number of guards present on duty.
Al-Rifai expressed concerns about the ongoing shift in dynamics at Al-Aqsa, mentioning attempts to introduce Jewish prayers and rituals within the compound, which traditionally has been administered under a framework allowing the Waqf to manage Islamic affairs.
He cautioned that recent proposals aimed at altering the access dynamics at the site could erode the current arrangements governing worship and accessibility, signaling potential shifts in the mosque’s administration and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict over religious sites.
