Colonists, police and fear: Ramadan begins at Al-Aqsa

JerusalemRamadan, which transforms the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound into a sea of ​​worshippers each year, has arrived in Jerusalem marked by tension. Nearly 400 Israeli settlers disrupted prayers on Wednesday, dancing and singing as worshippers prayed inside this holy site in the Old City. Weeks earlier, Palestinian groups warned of escalating pressure from Israeli authorities on the Temple Mount. More than a thousand expulsion orders have been issued against Palestinian residents and journalists, delivered via WhatsApp or posted at the gates of the compound. Religious authorities have not been spared either: Imam Muhammad Ali al-Abbas has been arrested and temporarily banned from entering the compound for at least a week. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has extended settlers' permitted hours of movement: they can now walk around from 6:30 to 11:30 in the morning, and the police allow them to carry prayer cards within the compound, a measure that, according to the NGO Ir Amim, contradicts thestatus quo, which reserves the site exclusively for Muslim worship.

Empty prayer spaces

The recent tensions were clearly reflected in the scene at the complex: prayer spaces like the Dome of the Rock and the Al Qibli Mosque, usually overflowing with worshippers, were almost empty in the days leading up to Ramadan. "It's never been this empty, especially before Ramadan," commented Mohammed (a pseudonym for security reasons) of Waqf, the Jordanian entity that manages Al-Aqsa. "There's a lot of fear this year, a feeling that has increased during the last three years of Israeli rule," added the caretaker, who has worked at the holy site for more than 14 years. Throughout the compound, the few worshippers present in the days before Ramadan moved discreetly among dozens of tourists, under the constant watch of Israeli soldiers. The presence of settlers, always escorted by at least one officer, was evident. "They come to pray and do as they please," explained Mohammed. "We, as guards, cannot approach or alert the police. We can only stay back, 50 meters away, or be arrested immediately." About 100 meters away, a group of settlers applauded and watched the Palestinians.

Israeli control is not limited to the entrances: it extends to the most mundane details within the complex. Before Ramadan, the Waqf guards were unable to replace the carpeting in the Al Qibli Mosque, repair the walls of the holy buildings marked by bullet holes from the intifadas, or fix the stained-glass windows or the door leading to the adjacent clinic, damaged in a police raid in 2022. Any repairs require Israeli authorization. Holes in the ground are scattered throughout the compound: the guards have had to cover them with the base of an umbrella to prevent accidents.

Mohammed and his companions also experience daily run-ins with the authorities. “A colleague is no longer allowed to enter because the police tried to shake his hand at the Dome of the Rock and he refused; they arrested him,” he explains. “When I was entering through the Chain Gate, a soldier started booing me and wanted to arrest me. I explained that I work here and know them personally. A few minutes later they told me they were just joking.”

Not far from the Dome of the Rock, the former Waqf office has been an Israeli police station since 2003, and Mohammed’s office has been reduced to a 3x3 meter space.

Historically, the Jordanian government oversaw religious affairs with relative ease, while Israel controlled the perimeter security of the compound. Everything changed in 2000, when Ariel Sharon, then leader of the Likud party and future prime minister, visited Al-Aqsa accompanied by hundreds of police officers. This visit, perceived by many Palestinians as a provocation, sparked the Second Intifada, a major civil uprising in Jerusalem and Israel. Israeli forces killed over 100 Palestinians in the first few weeks and imposed stricter control over the compound. This control was further tightened after the attacks of October 7, 2023.

Gaza: Fragile Hope

In Gaza, despite Israeli restrictions on materials and bombings in several neighborhoods of the city and in the southern part of the Strip, worshippers have begun to hold prayers at the Grand Mosque Al Omari. Streets and houses have been decorated with makeshift lanterns, tin cans, and colorful drawings. Despite the joy, the fear of a return to conflict is ever-present, with the memory of the fighting that resumed on March 19, 2025, during the second week of Ramadan, still fresh. Gaza is living under a fragile ceasefire, which began on October 10, 2025, during which Israel has killed nearly 600 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Strip authorities. Reports from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicate a relative improvement in food availability, but the flow of aid remains inconsistent, and many people still depend on humanitarian assistance to meet basic needs.