Occupation Arrests Al-Aqsa Imam, Prevents Mosque Preparation for Ramadan, and Issues Deportation Orders

SadaNews - The Israeli occupation forces today, Monday, arrested the Imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Al-Abbasi, from inside the mosque after storming it.

Local sources stated that the occupation forces detained Sheikh Al-Abbasi inside the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, without knowing the reasons for his arrest or the nature of the measures taken against him.

This arrest comes amid escalating measures by the occupation against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which include tightening restrictions on imams, preachers, and worshippers, imposing limitations on the entry of worshippers, in addition to intensifying incursions carried out by settlers under heavy police protection.

The occupied city of Jerusalem, particularly the Old City and the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is witnessing rising tensions amid the stringent security measures imposed by the occupation authorities, which are accompanied by arrests and deportations of religious figures and Jerusalemite activists.

The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the occupation authorities are preventing the implementation of logistical plans aimed at welcoming worshippers to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Since the beginning of this year, they have issued more than 250 deportation orders from the holy compound, attempting to impose one-sided realities that contradict the existing historical and legal status.

It emphasized that all occupation measures in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites are invalid, void, and illegal according to international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.

The governorate added, in a statement issued today, that "the occupation continues to tighten its grip on the staff of the Islamic Waqf, having deported about 25 employees and arrested four of them, in an attempt to weaken the authority's ability to manage mosque affairs and organize religious activities. The occupation also prevents the Waqf from carrying out various preparations for the arrival of the month of Ramadan, which includes installing canopies to protect from the sun or rain, preparing temporary field clinics, in addition to other essential logistical arrangements to ensure the worship proceeds normally."

In an additional escalation, a far-right organization named "Temple Mount School" announced an extension of morning incursion hours into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, starting from 6:30 AM until 11:30 AM, adding an extra hour to the usual incursion period. This comes just one week after "Temple organizations" sent an urgent letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding "guarantees of Israeli sovereignty and freedom of worship for Jews on the Temple Mount during Ramadan."

At the same time, the occupation police postponed a decision regarding incursions during the last ten days of Ramadan until they evaluate the reactions to the measures implemented at the beginning of the month.

According to data documented by the governorate, the occupation's plan for the month of Ramadan includes imposing strict restrictions on the entry of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank governorates to Jerusalem, particularly on Fridays, with a cap of no more than 10,000 worshipers, as well as stipulating age groups, allowing men over 55 years old and women over 50 years old, with prior approvals.

The Jerusalem governorate confirmed that these measures represent a new phase in the systematic policy of tightening restrictions, calling on Palestinians, especially those from the 1948 territories, to continue heading to and remaining at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in support of the steadfastness of Jerusalem and its people in the face of attempts at expulsion and Judaization. It also urged the international community to actively intervene to stop the provocative policies of the occupation, emphasizing that history proves that the occupation will continue to escalate whenever it feels weak reactions, necessitating a firm international stance to protect the legal and historical status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and maintain the stability of Jerusalem.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, Occupied Jerusalem, Jerusalem Governorate, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Abbasi, Ramadan.