Israeli authorities ban Raed Salah and Kamal Khatib from Al-Aqsa for six months

Israeli police in occupied Jerusalem have issued orders banning Raed Salah and Kamal Khatib from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for six months.

The order, signed by Jerusalem District Police Commander Avsholim Peled, states that the ban will remain in effect from 27^th April until 27^th October 2026 and was issued under powers granted by Israeli police regulations dating back to 1971.

According to the decision, the two sheikhs are prohibited from entering or remaining within the Al-Aqsa compound unless granted special permission directly by the police commander.

In response, Khatib rejected the measure, describing it as part of a continuing campaign targeting leaders linked to the Islamic Movement since it was outlawed by Israel in 2015.

He said the security justifications cited by Israeli authorities “lack any real basis” and linked the timing of the decision to his ongoing trial on incitement charges, which began in 2021.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly imposed restrictions on both figures in recent years, including earlier bans from Al-Aqsa and other measures limiting their activities.

Raed Salah, the former head of the Islamic Movement, has faced repeated arrests and exclusion orders, while Khatib previously served as deputy head of the movement and currently chairs the Liberties Committee within the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel.

The latest restrictions come amid continuing Israeli measures limiting access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly for prominent Palestinian religious and political figures from the 1948 territories.