Israel heavily curbs Palestinians from Ramadan Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffFebruary 20, 2026 at 10:54 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

For the first Friday prayers of Ramadan on February 20, 2026, Israel is heavily restricting Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli authorities are permitting only 10,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to enter, a significant decrease from previous years when up to 250,000 worshippers attended. Permits are required, and eligibility is limited to children under 12, men over 55, and women 50 or older. As of the morning of the first Friday, only approximately 2,000 Palestinians had crossed the Qalandiya checkpoint, amid heightened Israeli military presence. The restrictions are impacting a long-standing Palestinian tradition of worship at Al-Aqsa during Ramadan.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Oslo Accords 30% Gaza ×235% UN 40% Ramallah ×250% Qalandiya checkpoint ×365% West Bank ×670% East Jerusalem ×375% Palestinians ×580% Al-Aqsa Mosque ×385% Israel ×790%

Keywords

al-aqsa mosque 100% ramadan 100% palestinians 90% israel 90% west bank 80% restrictions 70% friday prayers 70% qalandiya checkpoint 60% occupied east jerusalem 60% worshippers 50%