Palestinian leaders and rights groups are raising alarms over escalating Israeli restrictions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem, including renewed bans on prominent Muslim figures.

Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, a key Palestinian preacher and head of the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem, has been barred from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, since August 2024. His latest exclusion order, issued on October 20, extends the ban until April 2027, preventing him from praying or delivering sermons at the revered location.

This latest measure comes amid a broader trend of increased Israeli control and restrictions targeting Palestinians at the mosque. The Wadi Hilweh Information Center, a Palestinian human rights monitoring group, reports that Israeli authorities have issued over 1,000 exclusion orders against Palestinians, including religious figures and Islamic Waqf employees, barring them from Al-Aqsa and the Old City since the start of 2026.

These restrictions are seen by Palestinians as a deliberate campaign to diminish their presence at the mosque, even as far-right Jewish activists are increasingly permitted to pray at the site under Israeli police escort. This practice challenges a long-standing status quo and is opposed by ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious authorities.

The initial exclusion of Sheikh Sabri in August 2024 followed a sermon in which he mourned Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel. Sabri, a prominent figure in East Jerusalem, has undergone repeated interrogations, which Palestinians view as part of a systematic effort to silence dissent and control the narrative around the holy site.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center noted a significant increase in exclusion orders during periods preceding Jewish holidays, documenting over 40 such orders issued within a five-day span in early September. This suggests a pattern of heightened enforcement around sensitive times.

Sheikh Sabri described the extended ban as "unjust, illegal, inhumane and uncivilised," asserting that its purpose is to silence critics of Israeli policy at Al-Aqsa. He affirmed his commitment to defending the mosque, emphasizing its integral role in his Islamic faith, despite the imposed limitations.

The growing number of exclusion orders and the increasing presence of Jewish prayer groups at Al-Aqsa are fueling concerns among Palestinian officials and religious leaders about the erosion of their authority and access to a site of deep religious and national significance.