Israeli authorities extended settler raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque by an hour on the eve of Ramadan, while ramping up restrictions on Palestinians' access to the site.
Ultra-nationalist groups that organise daily incursions at the occupied East Jerusalem site will now be allowed to remain for five hours instead of four, according to Ynet.
The decision was taken by Jerusalem District Commander Avshalom Peled just before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on Wednesday in Palestine.
Peled was appointed Jerusalem district commander last month by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who himself has repeatedly led raids on Al-Aqsa and advocates imposing Israeli “sovereignty” over the site.
Under the new schedule, visits will begin at 6:30am instead of 7am and end at 11:30am instead of 11am.
On Wednesday morning, groups of ultra-nationalist Israelis entered the site under heavy armed guard, singing and dancing in the mosque’s courtyards.
On Monday, Israeli forces detained the imam of Al-Aqsa, Sheikh Mohammed al-Abbasi, from the mosque’s courtyards without providing a reason, according to the Wafa news agency.
المستوطنون يستبيحون المسجد الأقصى المبارك ويغنون ويرقصون في الأول من شهر رمضان المبارك. pic.twitter.com/n02r9FZFjZ
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) February 18, 2026
At the same time, Israeli forces have tightened restrictions on Muslim Palestinian access to the site during Ramadan, when hundreds of thousands typically gather for prayer.
Israeli authorities have said they will significantly limit the number of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank allowed to enter Al-Aqsa during Ramadan.
Only 10,000 people - either over the age of 50 or under 12 - will be permitted entry, and only on Fridays.
Visitors will require prior approval from the Israeli army.
Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem who is banned from entering al-Aqsa Mosque, said the measures confirm “Israel’s ambitions toward Al-Aqsa” and show it does not want Muslims to fast freely and peacefully.
He accused Israel of seeking to “disrupt Muslims’ observance of Ramadan through arbitrary actions”.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, has stood at the centre of Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestine.
For Palestinians and Muslims worldwide, the mosque symbolises the struggle for freedom, identity and independence.
For many ultra-nationalist Israelis, it is the site where they hope to see a third Jewish temple being erected.
For decades, it has been governed by an international arrangement upholding its religious status as an exclusively Islamic shrine.
But since the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, Israelis have been gradually eroding that status through increasing restrictions on Palestinian and Muslim access, while expanding Jewish presence and control.
According to Ynet, police are still considering whether to allow settler raids during the last 10 days of Ramadan - a period that has previously been off-limits.
The final 10 days typically draw hundreds of thousands of worshippers, some of whom spend extended periods at the mosque in prayer.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces also entered the mosque’s courtyards during the first nightly Ramadan prayer, known as taraweeh.
Across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israeli forces have increased their presence and carried out additional arrests in recent days.
Meanwhile, Israeli settler violence continued across the West Bank, with attacks reported near Ramallah on Wednesday.
In Hebron, Israeli forces demolished a house, leaving its residents without shelter on the first day of Ramadan.
انتخاب - 1404-12-01
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