The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs reported a sharp escalation in Israeli violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites during June, particularly at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.
اضافة اعلان
In its monthly report released today, the Ministry stated that Israeli forces and settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque over 25 times, often performing Talmudic rituals during these incursions. The mosque was also closed 11 times under the pretext of “security concerns,” with restrictions imposed on the number of worshippers allowed inside, alongside serious Judaization measures in the Old City and around the Dome of the Rock.
The report highlighted that thousands of worshippers performed Eid al-Adha prayers at Al-Aqsa under tight restrictions, while Israeli soldiers and settlers stormed the Dome of the Rock compound during the prayer, with settlers engaging in chanting, dancing, and clapping.
As for the Ibrahimi Mosque, the Ministry reported that the call to prayer was banned 89 times in June. The mosque was also closed to worshippers for 12 consecutive days, during which Israeli forces:
Installed alarm systems in its halls
Occupied its rooftop
Lit up the mosque walls with Israeli flags
Sealed the eastern gate and forcibly illuminated the surrounding area
The Ministry condemned these actions as a blatant violation of its religious authority, an assault on the sanctity of the mosque, and a provocation to Muslim sentiment, warning of attempts to enforce spatial and temporal division of the site.
The report also documented:
The closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to Christian worshippers for 11 straight days
The raid of Al-Salahi Mosque in Nablus, during which Israeli forces searched all its facilities, including rooms and the rooftop
The Ministry urged the international community, human rights organizations, and religious institutions to take urgent action to halt these ongoing violations that threaten freedom of worship and the historical and legal status quo at the sacred sites.
