Al-Quds, MINA – Israeli orders barring Palestinians from Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem’s Old City have exceeded 1,000 since the beginning of 2026, a coalition of Palestinian institutions said on Sunday, describing the measures as a systematic tool to reshape the reality at the Islamic holy site.
In a statement, the coalition warned that the policy was intended to weaken Palestinians’ connection to Al-Aqsa Mosque and restrict Muslim access to the site. It also expressed concern that the growing use of banishment orders could facilitate expanded visits by Israeli settlers and efforts to change the longstanding status quo at the mosque compound.
The coalition called on Jordan, which serves as custodian of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, as well as Arab and Muslim countries and international organizations, to fulfill their responsibilities toward Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Meanwhile, groups of extremist Jewish settlers entered Al-Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards on Sunday morning under police escort, as Israeli authorities maintained tight restrictions on Muslim worshipers seeking access to the compound.
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Local sources said at least 160 settlers entered the site in separate groups through the Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards.
During the visits, the settlers reportedly received lectures from rabbis about what they described as the Temple Mount, while some performed Talmudic prayers at the compound.
Israeli occupation police also imposed movement and entry restrictions at the mosque’s gates and entrances, preventing many Muslim worshipers from entering the holy site, according to local sources.
Banishment orders, also known as exclusion orders, are administrative measures used by Israeli authorities to prohibit Palestinians from entering Jerusalem or Al-Aqsa Mosque for specified periods. Palestinian institutions and human rights organizations have raised concerns about their use to restrict religious practice and Palestinian presence in the city.
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According to the Palestine Information Center “Ma’ta,” around 800 exclusion orders had been issued by Israeli authorities against Palestinians in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque by early September 2026. The latest figure of more than 1,000 orders since the beginning of the year indicates a further increase, according to the coalition.
The restrictions come amid recurring settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and calls by some settler organizations to expand Israeli control over the site. Such activities have intensified Palestinian concerns about possible changes to the historical and legal status quo governing access and worship at the compound.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, is Islam’s third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina. The compound is also known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Under the longstanding status quo arrangement, Muslims pray at the compound, while non-Muslims are permitted to visit under established rules. Disputes over access, religious activities, and Israeli restrictions have repeatedly heightened tensions in occupied Jerusalem.
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The coalition’s statement called attention to what Palestinian institutions describe as an increasingly restrictive environment for Muslim worshipers and urged international actors to take action to protect access to the holy site and preserve its longstanding status quo.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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