Tensions Rise Over Masjid Aqsa Threats
The situation in Jerusalem remains volatile, with the Al-Aqsa Mosque at the center of the tensions. The Palestinian government and Qatar have urged the international community to take action to protect the mosque and prevent further escalation of violence in the region. The fate of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rights of Palestinians hang in the balance, as the world watches with bated breath.
Qatar has strongly condemned plans by Israeli organizations to bomb and demolish the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, describing the plans as a "dangerous provocation" that could escalate violence in the region. The Palestinian government has expressed "extreme concern" over threats by Israeli settler organizations to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian identity, has been a regular target of visits by right-wing Israeli politicians and settlers, who have sparked outrage with comments on building a synagogue or Jewish temple on the site. Sheikh Sabri, the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, has denounced the recent storming of the mosque by over 3,000 illegal Israeli Jewish settlers in three days, warning that the mosque has become a desecrated site at the disposal of extremist Jewish settlers.
The city of Jerusalem has turned into a military barracks, and the occupation authorities have been tightening restrictions on Muslims at Al-Aqsa Mosque since the first day of Israel's assault on Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has reported that the occupation authorities have detained tens of Palestinian journalists, some of whom their whereabouts are unknown. The Al-Aqsa Mosque has been stormed 21 times last month during Ramadan, and 13,064 illegal settlers stormed the mosque in the first quarter of 2025.
The international community and UN institutions have been called upon to take action against the "systematic incitement" and enforce international law to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rights of Palestinians. Sheikh Sabri has emphasized that the occupation's aggressive measures will not secure its rights regarding Al-Aqsa, and that stripping the Islamic Waqf of its powers and the Al-Aqsa guards paralyzes their movement during Jewish holidays.