Concerns about possible clashes on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem are enormous, given the security situation since October 7. Hamas officials called on Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank to march to Al-Aqsa Mosque at the start of Ramadan and to make “every day of the fasting month a day of clashes.”
Israel's right-wing extremist police minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has insisted on far-reaching restrictions on West Bank Palestinians. In mid-February, he demanded that Israeli Muslims under the age of 70 be denied access to the facilities, while Palestinians in the occupied West Bank should be denied access. On Monday, Ben-Gvir reiterated his demands.
Apparently secret service against limits
But Netanyahu decided differently on Tuesday: as many Muslims should come in the first week as before. From then on, a new security assessment will be carried out every week. An exact number of approvals was not communicated. “Taking into account security conditions, we will do everything in our power to guarantee the free exercise of religion on the Temple Mount and to allow Muslims to celebrate,” he said.
The decision was made in conjunction with senior Israeli security officials. According to media reports, the Israeli Shin Bet internal secret service and the military reject strict conditions because they have led to clashes in the past.
Threats from Ankara
On Monday, Jordan's King Abdullah II called on Israel to show restraint. On Monday, he received three Arab members of the Israeli parliament who asked the king for support for unhindered Muslim access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Jordanian royal family has at least symbolic patronage over Jerusalem's holy sites, even though they have been de facto controlled by Israel since the Six-Day War in 1967. According to a statement from his office, Abdullah II urged Israel to exercise moderation. All parties must contribute to de-escalation.
debate
What might the future of the Gaza Strip be like?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday threatened Israel with “very serious consequences” if it banned Palestinian Muslims from accessing holy sites in Jerusalem. “The demands of radical Israeli politicians to restrict Muslim access to the Temple Mount are complete nonsense,” he said.
Sanctuary for both sides
Last year, women of all ages were allowed access to the Temple Mount, while men were only allowed on the Temple Mount over the age of 55. The Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. As a de-escalation measure, in recent years Jews have also been banned from visiting the country during the last ten days of Ramadan. The Temple Mount (Arabic: al-Haram al-Sharif) is also considered sacred to Jews because it is the site of two Jewish temples that were destroyed in ancient times.
The Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem has repeatedly been the scene of provocations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and outbreaks of violence. For example, the second Palestinian uprising (Intifada) began in 2000, following a demonstrative visit to the Temple Mount by Israel's then opposition leader, Ariel Sharon.
Ceasefire negotiations continue
According to Egyptian security circles, negotiations in Cairo on a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza war continue, as reported by DPA. There, representatives of the mediating states USA, Qatar and Egypt are negotiating with Hamas; Israel does not participate directly in the talks.
According to the information, negotiations were at an advanced stage. They could achieve a ceasefire and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners within days, he said.
Over the past two days, Hamas has dealt positively with proposals from Qatar and Egypt, a senior Hamas official said late on Tuesday at a press conference in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. He reiterated Hamas' position: “The security of our people can only be achieved through an end to aggression, a ceasefire and the withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza.”
Israel has so far rejected a comprehensive ceasefire and continues to fight for the destruction of Hamas. From Israel's perspective, only a temporary ceasefire is conceivable within the framework of an agreement.
Uncertainty about hostages
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized on the sidelines of a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington that it was up to Hamas to agree to a ceasefire. Blinken described the plight of the people of Gaza “in the crossfire unleashed by Hamas” as “unacceptable and unsustainable.” Israel must “maximize all possible means and methods to provide assistance to those in need.”
Netanyahu demands, among other things, that the terrorist organization present a list of the names of hostages still alive under its control. However, Hamas officials said they could not say which of the hostages kidnapped in Israel were still alive because of the Israeli attacks.