'Israeli' settlers have stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in increasing numbers recently [Getty]
27 Aqsa Mosque raids, 53 blocked call to prayer at Ibrahimi Mosque by ‘Israel’ last month
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- ‘Israeli’ settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque 27 times in December under ‘Israeli’ police protection.
- ‘Israel’ blocked the call to prayer 53 times at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.
'Israeli' settlers carried out 27 incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque during December, while ‘Israel’ prevented the adhan, call to prayer, from being raised 53 times at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs.
In a statement issued Sunday, the ministry said settlers, under the protection of Israeli Occupation Forces, repeatedly stormed Al-Aqsa, as part of an escalating policy targeting Islamic holy sites in West Bank.
Read more: 99 'Israeli' violations target Palestinian journalists in December 2025
Al-Aqsa Under Intensified Targeting
The ministry said the incursions aim to normalize Jewish religious presence inside Al-Aqsa, including collective Talmudic prayers and wearing religious garments.
It added that the eastern section of the mosque, near the Bab al-Rahma prayer area, has become the main focal point for settler prayers.
Read more: ‘Israeli’ far-right party moves to restrict adhan, calls it “noise”
'Israeli' ettlers also held loud celebrations in the plaza of the Buraq Wall west of Al-Aqsa, coinciding with the beginning of the Hebrew month and the holiday of Hanukkah, under full police supervision.
‘Israeli’ police prevented Al-Aqsa guards from carrying out their duties during the incursions, according to the ministry.
Call to prayer silenced in Hebron
At the Ibrahimi Mosque, ‘Israel’ blocked the call to prayer 53 times in December, restricted staff access, and closed the market gate to obstruct worshippers.
The ministry said settlers held provocative celebrations in the seized eastern section near the mosque’s eastern gate, while the afternoon call to prayer was specifically banned.
It also reported that occupation forces placed two caravans inside the mosque’s courtyard near the electricity room and surrounded the area with barriers, preventing Awqaf staff from determining their purpose.
Broader Context
Palestinians say these measures are part of a broader campaign to Judaize occupied East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity. They insist East Jerusalem remains the capital of their future state, based on international resolutions that reject ‘Israel’s’ occupation of the city in 1967 and its annexation in 1980.
The Ibrahimi Mosque, located in Hebron’s Old City under full ‘Israeli’ control, is surrounded by about 400 settlers protected by roughly 1,500 soldiers. In 1994, ‘Israel’ divided the mosque, allocating 63 percent to Jews and 37 percent to Muslims, following a massacre by a settler that killed 29 Palestinians during prayer.
The ministry condemned the daily violations and called on Palestinians to maintain presence and steadfastness at both mosques, stressing that continued worship is a key form of protection against ongoing ‘Israeli’ aggression.
