Israeli Police Arrest Al-Aqsa Mosque Imam Ahead of Ramadan

Al-Quds, MINA – Israeli police on Monday night arrested Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al-Abbasi, an imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the courtyard of the mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. The arrest comes amid heightened security measures and tighter restrictions on worshippers ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

According to local sources, the detention is part of a broader pattern of measures targeting religious leaders, preachers, and al-Murabitun (volunteers who regularly maintain a presence at the Al-Aqsa compound). Israeli authorities have also intensified access restrictions for Palestinian worshippers while facilitating visits by Jewish settlers to the site under heavy security escort.

Security conditions in and around the Al-Aqsa compound have grown increasingly tense, with reports of detentions of religious figures and local activists, along with expanded restrictions across Jerusalem’s Old City.

The arrest adds to a series of actions taken in recent years against Islamic clerics and administrators affiliated with Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli authorities have frequently imposed entry bans, issued summons for questioning, and restricted religious activities involving imams and preachers perceived as critical of Israeli policies in East Jerusalem.

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The measures come amid heightened tensions in East Jerusalem, particularly following repeated visits by Jewish settlers to the Al-Aqsa compound under police protection. Palestinians argue that such visits violate the long-standing status quo arrangement, under which the site is administered as a Muslim place of worship, while non-Muslim visits are regulated and limited.

Palestinian human rights groups describe the arrest as intimidation directed at Islamic religious authorities and part of a broader effort to alter the character of the Al-Aqsa compound. They argue the incident reflects a systematic policy aimed at weakening the role of religious leaders and worshippers who regularly maintain a presence at the mosque.

Israeli authorities, meanwhile, say security measures are necessary to maintain public order and stability. Critics contend that such measures contribute to escalating tensions and provoke widespread anger among Muslims in Palestine and abroad.

Al-Aqsa Mosque holds deep religious significance in Islam as the first qibla (direction of prayer) and the third holiest site after the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. Developments concerning the compound frequently draw regional and international attention due to its religious, political, and humanitarian sensitivity.[]

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)