Israeli Occupation Extends Al-Aqsa Ban on Grand Mufti Over Gaza Sermon
Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday prolonged their expulsion order against Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, preventing him from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque in East al-Quds for an additional six months. The move follows an earlier eight-day ban imposed after the cleric's Friday sermon last month, in which he sharply criticized Israel’s siege on Gaza.
Sheikh Hussein’s legal representative confirmed the extension, noting that Israeli forces initially summoned the Mufti on July 27 and handed him an expulsion notice. That order has now been transformed into a long-term restriction targeting one of the highest Islamic authorities in the Palestinian territories.
During his sermon, the Mufti addressed the dire humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. “Muslims, O people of the land of Isra and Mi’raj, humanity today is crushed under injustice,” he said from the pulpit at Al-Aqsa on July 25.
“Some are denied food and are dying of hunger before the eyes of a world that speaks of human rights—claims that reality itself exposes as lies. Where are you, O Messenger of God, as this world drowns in injustice?”
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The sermon appears to have drawn the ire of Israeli authorities, who continue to clamp down on dissenting religious and political voices critical of the genocidal war on Gaza.
In response to the extended ban, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs issued a statement condemning the move.
“The ban of the Mufti is a clear attempt by the (Israeli) occupation to empty Al-Aqsa of religious authorities who confront its plans, and demonstrate the extent and scope of its violations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in general, and Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular.”
Israel's war on Gaza has devastated the besieged territory. Since October 7, over 61,000 Palestinians—many of them women and children—have been killed, and almost 145,000 injured. Alongside the bombardment, an ongoing blockade has shattered civilian access to essential supplies including food, medicine, and clean water.
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According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, more than 100,000 children, including 40,000 infants, are facing acute hunger. At least 193 people—96 of them children—have died from starvation and malnutrition. Humanitarian agencies warn that emergency food reserves are nearly depleted, putting thousands more at immediate risk.
Source: Agencies
