Israel to restrict access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramazan

GAZA: Israel will impose some restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan according to “security needs”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says.

The Al-Aqsa compound, the third holiest site in the world for Muslims, sits atop a hill in the Old City. The site is also revered by Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. Restrictions on access to the site have long caused friction, particularly around religious holidays such as Ramazan, which will begin about March 10 this year. Asked about the possibility of blocking access for some worshippers during the holy month, Netanyahu’s office said on Monday: “The prime minister made a balanced decision within the security needs determined by professionals.” His office gave no further details.

Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs the Gaza Strip, denounced the planned restrictions and urged Palestinians to mobilise against them. It described the restrictions as “a continuation of Zionist criminality and religious warfare led by the extremist settlers group in the terrorist occupation government against our Palestinian people”. The group called on Palestinians in Israel, Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank to “reject this criminal decision, resist the occupation’s arrogance and insolence, and mobilise to stand firm and steadfast in Al-Aqsa Mosque”.

Israel often sets rules to limit the number of worshippers at the site, citing security reasons. Israeli forces have previously undertaken violent raids at the site during Ramazan. The announcement comes as Israel warns that it will continue its assault on Gaza during Ramazan, including in the densely populated Rafah area in the south.

“The world must know and Hamas leaders must know: If by Ramazan the hostages are not home, the fighting will continue everywhere to include the Rafah area,” war cabinet member Benny Gantz said on Sunday. “We will do so in a coordinated manner, facilitating the evacuation of civilians in dialogue with American and Egyptian partners and to minimise the civilian casualties as much as possible.” “Hamas has a choice. They can surrender, release the hostages and the civilians of Gaza can celebrate the feast of Ramazan,” he said.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas led attacks on Israel, killing at least 1,139 people, according to an Al Jazeera count based on official figures. It also took about 250 other people captive. Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza has killed more than 29,000 people, according to Palestinian authorities. It has also reduced much of Gaza to rubble and displaced more than 80 percent of its population, according to aid groups.

Negotiations over a potential truce and hostage-for-prisoner exchange have appeared to stall in recent weeks with Netanyahu publicly describing demands by Hamas as “delusional”. The United States, Israel’s top ally, has said it still hopes to broker a pause in hostilities but signalled it would veto a draft United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire and argued against measures that could jeopardise “the opportunity for an enduring resolution of hostilities”.

There is growing international pressure on Israel to halt the war in the enclave, especially as UN agencies warn of catastrophic damage and casualties if Israeli forces press on towards Rafah. Still, Netanyahu has insisted on his war goals of “destroying” Hamas. On Sunday, the Israeli leader promised “total victory” over Hamas despite rising anger from desperate relatives of the remaining captives and growing antigovernment protests. Israel says it believes about 130 captives remain in Gaza, including 30 presumed dead.

Meanwhile, the UN experts on Monday expressed alarm over “credible allegations of egregious human rights violations” against Palestinian women and girls in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

They are being arbitrarily executed, arbitrarily detained, raped or threatened with sexual violence, the experts said, adding that these alleged acts may constitute “grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute.” They called for the perpetrators to be held accountable, and for victims’ families to receive “full redress and justice.”

The experts cited instances of Palestinian women and girls being reportedly arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing,” they said.

“Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces.” The independent experts include the working group on discrimination against women and girls, the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, and Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories.

They expressed concern about the arbitrary detention of “hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October.” They have reportedly been subjected to “inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten,” the experts said, adding that on at least one occasion, female detainees were put in a cage and left without food in the rain and cold.

The UN experts also expressed distress at reports of multiple forms of sexual assault against Palestinian female detainees, including being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli officers. “At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said, adding that that photos of female detainees in “degrading circumstances” were also reportedly taken by Israeli soldiers and uploaded online.

— Aljazeera & Arab News