Israel bans scores of Palestinians from Al-Aqsa ahead of Passover

Israeli forces detained at least 30 Palestinians during raids in occupied East Jerusalem overnight Saturday and banned them from Al-Aqsa Mosque, while three Palestinians from northern Israel were also banned from the holy site over a Facebook post related to Passover, amid a security crackdown imposed by Israel leading up to the Jewish holiday.

The majority of the 30 Jerusalemites were later released, after Israeli authorities banned them from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City for at least 15 days, while some were banned for periods between three to six months.

Head of Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) in Jerusalem Nadi Qaws told Ma’an that the detention raids were launched in the Old City and the neighboring areas of Silwan, al-Tur, and Wadi al-Joz.
The Palestinians were first verbally notified of the bans, and were later ordered to appear at Israeli police stations for interrogation.

“For (Palestinian) Jerusalemites, the Jewish holiday season means an escalation in arbitrary detentions, house raids, and searches – measures that terrify families. The installation of additional security checkpoints, particularly at Al-Aqsa Mosque’s gates and in the Old City, only increase tensions in Jerusalem,” Qaws said.

Qaws noted that five other Jerusalemites have received banning orders in recent days, bringing the total of affected Palestinians to at least 35. Some of them were banned from the entirety of the Old City, not just Al-Aqsa, he said.

Severe restrictions on movement for Palestinians are typically implemented by Israeli authorities during Jewish holidays for alleged security purposes.

The third holiest site in Islam, Al-Aqsa is also venerated as Judaism’s most holy place, as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood. While Jewish visitation is permitted to the compound, non-Muslim worship is prohibited according to an agreement signed between Israel and the Jordanian government after Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.