PALESTINE — The Palestinian Authority says 4,397 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem during January, in figures it said point to a rising pattern of incursions at one of Islam’s holiest sites. (Source – Arab News, February 2, 2026; WAFA, February 2, 2026)

The claims were published by the Jerusalem Governorate, a body affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, which described the January total as a “significant escalation” and accused Israeli authorities of enabling attempts to change the long-standing arrangements governing the compound, known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif. (Source – Arab News, February 2, 2026; WAFA, February 2, 2026)

According to the same Palestinian accounts, some groups were accompanied by Israeli officials, including Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Israeli authorities also permitted thousands of additional entries classified as tourism. The governorate said some visitors distributed prayer leaflets and performed rituals inside the compound, actions Palestinians and Jordanian religious authorities have long opposed. (Source – Arab News, February 2, 2026; WAFA, February 2, 2026)

Israel has not issued an immediate public response to the Palestinian Authority’s January figures, and the claims are difficult to independently verify because access, policing and entry data are controlled by Israeli authorities. Israel has historically described Jewish access as “visits” permitted under security supervision, while Palestinians describe many such entries as “incursions,” arguing they are politically charged and often accompanied by restrictions on Muslim worshippers. (Source – Reuters, August 3, 2025; Reuters, March 7, 2025)

Ramadan access and displacement pressures in occupied East Jerusalem

The Palestinian Authority statement comes as Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem report intensifying pressure from evictions, demolitions and settlement activity in neighborhoods surrounding the Old City, including Silwan, which lies adjacent to the Al-Aqsa compound. (Source – Reuters, January 28, 2026)

In a recent report from Silwan, Reuters documented Palestinian families facing Supreme Court-backed eviction orders in favor of settler-linked claims, with residents warning of heightened displacement risks during a period of ongoing regional tension. Settler organizations argue they are pursuing historical property claims, a position Palestinians dispute as part of a broader effort to change the city’s demographic balance. (Source – Reuters, January 28, 2026)

Separately, UN humanitarian reporting has continued to track demolitions and related displacement in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, largely tied to Israeli permit regimes that Palestinians and rights groups say are systematically difficult to navigate. (Source – OCHA oPt, January 7, 2026)

The Jerusalem Governorate’s January summary also cited 86 demolitions and land-leveling operations affecting Palestinian property in Jerusalem, including cases it described as forced self-demolitions—instances where Palestinians dismantle their own homes to avoid heavier municipal penalties. (Source – Arab News, February 2, 2026; WAFA, February 2, 2026)

Islamic and Ethical Context

For many Muslims, Al-Aqsa is not only a historic landmark but a living place of worship tied to core religious memory and identity. In newsroom terms, that spiritual weight helps explain why changes in access, policing, and on-site conduct routinely generate fear and anger among Muslim communities far beyond فلسطين. References in The Quran to sacred precincts and the sanctity of worship underscore why the site’s protection is framed by many Muslims as a matter of religious duty as well as civil rights.

In practical ethical terms, Muslim community leaders and civil society voices often focus on two questions: whether worshippers can pray without intimidation, and whether authorities apply rules consistently and without discrimination. Teachings in Hadith Books that emphasize preventing harm and safeguarding places of worship are commonly invoked in community discussions about security, dignity, and equal treatment—especially when Ramadan access is debated.

The lived precedent of plural coexistence and covenantal protection in The Seerah is frequently cited by Muslim scholars when discussing how power should be exercised over vulnerable communities and holy spaces. In the current context, that ethical lens aligns with international concerns about forced displacement and the protection of civilians and humanitarian institutions in occupied East Jerusalem, issues repeatedly raised by UN-linked reporting and allied government statements.