Israel Imposes One-Week Ban on Palestinian Preachers from Al-Aqsa Mosque

(MENAFN) Israeli authorities have barred two well-known Palestinian preachers from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for one week, according to statements issued on Monday.

Sheikh Raed Salah and Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib said they were called in for questioning by Israeli officials and were subsequently handed written orders prohibiting them from accessing the mosque for seven days.

According to reports, Sheikh Salah told journalists that he and his colleague were formally informed of the restriction during their questioning.

“We received an order preventing us from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Salah told reporters.

He added that when asked about their response, they emphasized their religious connection to the site and rejected the decision.

“When asked about our response, we said that Al-Aqsa is a purely Islamic right and we have the right to be there,” he said, describing the measure as “invalid” and “unjust.”

Salah also characterized the ban as an infringement on religious rights, calling it “an assault on our religion” and “religious persecution,” and asserted that oversight of the mosque rests exclusively with the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem.

Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib also commented on the decision, suggesting that the restriction could be extended beyond the initial period.

“It is clear that next Sunday there will be a decision to extend the ban to six months by the Jerusalem District Police commander,” he said.

He further stressed that, in his view, the mosque remains solely under Muslim custodianship.

“Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to Muslims, and no one else has the right to even a grain of its soil.”

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