Israel Permits 10,000 Palestinian Worshippers to Al-Aqsa During Ramadan, Access Limited to Elderly and Children

Israel has announced it will permit only 10,000 Palestinian worshippers to attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan, which began on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

However, Israeli authorities have also imposed entry restrictions on the mosque compound. Access will be granted only to men aged 55 and over, women aged 50 and over, and children up to the age of 12.

“Ten thousand Palestinian worshippers will be allowed to enter the Temple Mount for Friday prayers throughout the month of Ramadan, subject to obtaining a special daily permit in advance,” said COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs in the occupied territories, in a statement.

“Entry for men will be permitted from the age of 55, for women from the age of 50, and for children up to the age of 12 if accompanied by a first-degree relative.”

During Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al-Aqsa, the third holiest site in Islam, located in East Jerusalem. The area was captured by Israel in 1967 and subsequently annexed in a move not recognised internationally.

The Palestinian Jerusalem administration stated this week that Israeli authorities had prevented the Islamic Waqf — the Jordanian-managed body that administers the site — from carrying out routine preparations ahead of Ramadan, including installing shade structures and establishing temporary medical clinics.

A senior imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Abbasi, said he had also been barred from entering the compound. “I have been banned from the mosque for a week, and the ban may be extended,” he said.

Al-Abbasi said he was not given a reason for the ban, which took effect on Monday.

Under a long-standing arrangement, Jews are permitted to visit the Al-Aqsa compound — which they revere as the site of the first and second Jewish temples — but are not allowed to pray there.

Israel has stated it remains committed to maintaining this status quo, although Palestinians are concerned the arrangement is being increasingly eroded.

In recent years, a number of Jewish ultranationalist groups have challenged the prayer ban, including far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who prayed at the site while serving as national security minister in 2024 and 2025.