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Vendors sell dates at a marketplace ahead of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan in Quetta on February 18, 2026. [AFP]
Israel announced that it will cap the number of Palestinian worshippers from the occupied West Bank attending weekly Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem at 10,000 during the holy month of Ramadan, which began Wednesday.
Israeli authorities also imposed age restrictions on West Bank Palestinians, permitting entry only to men aged 55 and older, women aged 50 and older, and children up to age 12.
“Ten thousand Palestinian worshippers will be permitted to enter the Temple Mount for Friday prayers throughout the month of Ramadan, subject to obtaining a dedicated daily permit in advance,” COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry agency in charge of civilian matters in the Palestinian territories, said in a statement.
“Entry for men will be permitted from age 55, for women from age 50, and for children up to age 12 when accompanied by a first-degree relative.”
COGAT told AFP that the restrictions apply only to Palestinians travelling from the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
“It is emphasised that all permits are conditional upon prior security approval by the relevant security authorities,” COGAT said.
“In addition, residents travelling to prayers at the Temple Mount will be required to undergo digital documentation at the crossings upon their return to the areas of Judea and Samaria at the conclusion of the prayer day,” it said, using the Biblical term for the West Bank.
During Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al‑Aqsa, Islam’s third‑holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed in a move that is not internationally recognised.
Since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, the attendance of worshippers has declined due to security concerns and Israeli restrictions.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said this week that Israeli authorities had prevented the Islamic Waqf — the Jordanian‑run body that administers the site — from carrying out routine preparations ahead of Ramadan, including installing shade structures and setting up temporary medical clinics.
A senior imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad al-Abbasi, told AFP that he, too, had been barred from entering the compound.
“I have been barred from the mosque for a week, and the order can be renewed,” he said.
Abbasi said he was not informed of the reason for the ban, which came into effect on Monday.
Under long‑standing arrangements, Jews may visit the Al‑Aqsa compound — which they revere as the site of the first and second Jewish temples — but they are not permitted to pray there.
Israel says it is committed to upholding this status quo, though Palestinians fear it is being eroded.
In recent years, a growing number of Jewish ultranationalists have challenged the prayer ban, including far‑right politician Itamar Ben Gvir, who prayed at the site while serving as national security minister in 2024 and 2025.
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Vendors sell dates at a marketplace ahead of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan in Quetta on February 18, 2026.
[AFP]
Israel announced that it will cap the number of Palestinian worshippers from the occupied West Bank attending weekly Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem at 10,000 during the holy month of Ramadan, which began Wednesday.
Israeli authorities also imposed age restrictions on West Bank Palestinians, permitting entry only to men aged 55 and older, women aged 50 and older, and children up to age 12.
“Ten thousand Palestinian worshippers will be permitted to enter the Temple Mount for Friday prayers throughout the month of Ramadan, subject to obtaining a dedicated daily permit in advance,” COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry agency in charge of civilian matters in the Palestinian territories, said in a statement.
“Entry for men will be permitted from age 55, for women from age 50, and for children up to age 12 when accompanied by a first-degree relative.”
COGAT told AFP that the restrictions apply only to Palestinians travelling from the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
“It is emphasised that all permits are conditional upon prior security approval by the relevant security authorities,” COGAT said.
“In addition, residents travelling to prayers at the Temple Mount will be required to undergo digital documentation at the crossings upon their return to the areas of Judea and Samaria at the conclusion of the prayer day,” it said, using the Biblical term for the West Bank.
During Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al‑Aqsa, Islam’s third‑holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed in a move that is not internationally recognised.
Since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, the attendance of worshippers has declined due to security concerns and Israeli restrictions.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said this week that Israeli authorities had prevented the Islamic Waqf — the Jordanian‑run body that administers the site — from carrying out routine preparations ahead of Ramadan, including installing shade structures and setting up temporary medical clinics.
A senior imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad al-Abbasi, told AFP that he, too, had been barred from entering the compound.
“I have been barred from the mosque for a week, and the order can be renewed,” he said.
Abbasi said he was not informed of the reason for the ban, which came into effect on Monday.
Under long‑standing arrangements, Jews may visit the Al‑Aqsa compound — which they revere as the site of the first and second Jewish temples — but they are not permitted to pray there.
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Israel says it is committed to upholding this status quo, though Palestinians fear it is being eroded.
In recent years, a growing number of Jewish ultranationalists have challenged the prayer ban, including far‑right politician Itamar Ben Gvir, who prayed at the site while serving as national security minister in 2024 and 2025.
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By AFP