Summonses and expulsion orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque continue as the Jewish holiday season approaches
The Israeli occupation authorities are still issuing expulsion orders against Jerusalemites from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, coinciding with the upcoming Jewish holidays that last for several weeks. This occurs alongside a notable increase in the frequency of summonses, interrogations, and expulsion orders.
Recently, actions have been directed at several Jerusalemites and activists from Jerusalem and the Palestinian 1948 territories. The campaign mainly targets former prisoners, individuals recently expelled from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, along with religious figures and staff of the Islamic Endowment Department.
Often, procedures start with summoning the person for an interrogation, or a "hearing." Afterward, the person receives an order from the responsible officer to be expelled from Al-Aqsa Mosque for one week. They must then return to the police station for further questioning once the expulsion ends. This process can lead to issuing a new expulsion order that lasts several months. In some cases, the expulsion order is sent via WhatsApp by the commander of the Jerusalem District Police.
These measures are frequently repeated as Jewish holidays near, with deportation orders often used to block Palestinians from reaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Expulsion periods can last from weeks to months and may be renewed right after they end.
At the start of this year, a broad campaign issued expulsion orders against hundreds of Palestinians from Al-Aqsa Mosque before Ramadan. This was accompanied by increased restrictions on worshippers, those present at the mosque, and activists in Jerusalem.
Given this timing, the threat of expulsion extends beyond the initial order. Issuing new orders immediately after previous ones expire turns expulsion into a continuous means of denying access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, making Palestinians susceptible to a repeated cycle of orders without the chance to return even after the first expulsion period concludes.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Jerusalem documented several expulsion cases in the past few hours:
• The Jerusalem Sharia judge and employee of the Islamic Endowment Department, Dr. Sheikh Iyad Al-Abbasi, was summoned for questioning and served with an expulsion order for one week, with the possibility of extension, just two weeks after the expiration of his previous expulsion order.
• Youssef al-Risheq: Summoned for questioning and served with a one-week expulsion order, which can be extended. Al-Risheq faces a series of continuous expulsion orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque. Data indicates he has been barred from accessing the mosque for three years and four months, as authorities replaced expired expulsion orders with new ones, perpetuating his denial of access.
• Jerusalemite Jihad Qaws: Arrested today in the Old City and released on condition of a one-week expulsion from Al-Aqsa Mosque, which can be extended.
• Ishaq Afana: Arrested in the village of Sur Baher. After five hours of detention and interrogation, authorities released him on condition of a one-week expulsion from Al-Aqsa Mosque, which can be extended.
• Ahmed Shwayat: Summoned for questioning and served with a one-week expulsion order, which can be extended.
• Suhaib Afana: Summoned for questioning and served with a one-week expulsion order, which can be extended.
• Naseem Khalil Hamada: Summoned for questioning and served with a one-week expulsion order, which can be extended.
• Mehran Mahameed, from within the 1948 Palestinian territories, who is active in organizing and operating buses to Al-Aqsa Mosque, was banned from the mosque for four months. This ban was issued immediately after the end of his initial one-week exclusion period. According to what he was informed, the expulsion order was based on suspicion of "incitement" stemming from his activities in organizing and operating buses to Al-Aqsa Mosque. Mahameed denied these accusations, emphasizing that his activity is limited to organizing and operating buses to Al-Aqsa Mosque openly and systematically through legal and licensed institutions.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center's monitoring of summonses and expulsion orders, more than 40 expulsion orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque were issued in the last five days. Several of those affected by the orders preferred not to disclose their names.
This campaign takes on added significance as the longest Jewish holiday season approaches, beginning with Rosh Hashanah and continuing with Yom Kippur and Sukkot. This period typically witnesses a tightening of Israeli measures in Jerusalem, along with an increase in settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque.
As the holidays near, worries are rising about the campaign's expansion and the growing number of expulsions, aligning with predictions of stricter restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mosque and worshippers.
