Ramallah, March 30, 2026 (WAFA) – Muhannad Jadou
In light of the ongoing regional war, the city of Jerusalem is witnessing a pivotal stage in which Israel is attempting to impose new realities on the ground that affect the core of the city’s religious and historical identity, in a context that goes beyond the circumstantial security dimension towards bringing about deep and sustainable changes in its political and demographic reality .
Although the fierce military confrontations between regional and international powers are taking place geographically outside the Palestinian territories, their political and security repercussions have been directly reflected on the West Bank, including Jerusalem, turning the city into an open arena for reshaping its features under the guise of regional transformations .
While the world was preoccupied with following these transformations, the Israeli authorities exploited the cover of the “state of emergency” to accelerate the pace of imposing new realities on the ground, so that Jerusalem is experiencing one of the most intense phases of the “silent war,” affecting its demographic presence and cultural identity .
In this context, a series of unprecedented measures have emerged at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, represented by its continued closure to worshippers for more than 30 days, the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during the Lenten season that preceded Easter, and the imposition of strict restrictions on the entry of Muslims and Christians, in contrast to clear facilitations for the incursions of settlers who continue to perform their rituals within its courtyards .
Israeli occupation soldiers close one of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque
The recent period has witnessed a dangerous escalation represented by attempts to bring animal sacrifices into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as part of the efforts of colonial groups to impose new religious rituals that affect its Islamic identity. This reflects a shift from mere incursions to an attempt to establish a parallel religious reality within the Holy Sanctuary, which effectively paves the way for changing the status quo .
These measures were not limited to Islamic holy sites, but extended to include Christian holy sites, as the occupation authorities, in a dangerous precedent, prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, accompanied by the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Yelbo, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as they headed to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass according to the Western calendar, despite prior coordination and the absence of any public demonstrations. This sparked a wave of widespread international condemnations that considered the move a violation of the existing legal and historical status of the holy sites in Jerusalem .
The Palestinian Presidency considered the closure of Islamic and Christian holy sites by the Israeli occupation authorities a serious violation of the existing historical and legal status quo, warning against the occupation authorities exploiting the escalation in the region to harm Islamic and Christian religious sites in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates considered these measures to be a blatant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, a violation of the status quo, and an infringement on the freedom of unrestricted access to places of worship. It called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and to work to compel Israel to stop its violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem .
In the same context, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stressed that preventing the Patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre constitutes a violation of the status quo in the holy places, emphasizing the need to enable followers of all religions to practice their rituals freely and without fear .
Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
French President Emmanuel Macron viewed the barring of Christians in the Holy Land from holding Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as part of a worrying increase in violations targeting the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned what she called an “insult to the faithful,” referring to the Latin Patriarch’s inability to conduct the Mass. In a notable diplomatic move, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that he had summoned the Israeli ambassador in Rome to protest the decision and request clarification .
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation considered the Israeli violations against holy sites to be an infringement on the existing legal and historical status, warning against this escalation and calling on the international community to take practical measures to pressure the Israeli occupation authorities to stop these violations and preserve the status quo in Islamic and Christian holy sites .
In parallel, measures aimed at changing the demographic reality in Jerusalem are accelerating, through intensifying forced evictions, expelling citizens and forcing them to demolish their homes, especially in areas such as Silwan and Qalandiya, where hundreds of families face the imminent threat of displacement .
These policies are accompanied by stringent administrative and legislative measures, including the revocation of residency permits and the tightening of residency and family reunification requirements, as part of a policy aimed at reducing the Palestinian presence in the city and reinforcing its colonial character. Colonial expansion continues, particularly around the Old City, further tightening the colonial grip and consolidating Israeli control over its vital areas .
Economically, the tightened siege measures have directly impacted daily life in Jerusalem, resulting in economic paralysis and markets overflowing with goods due to the stagnation of religious tourism and the decline in visitor traffic. As a result, about 1,400 merchants in the Old City are now facing the risk of ceasing operations and closing their shops .
Shops and markets in Jerusalem’s Old City appear almost empty as a result of the closures and restrictions imposed by the occupation.
The repercussions also affected the education sector, as 51 schools affiliated with Islamic endowments suffer from restrictions that hinder restoration and development work, in addition to being deprived of implementing distance education as a result of the weakness of their infrastructure and the occupation authorities preventing the entry of educational devices and platforms, which led to the widening of the educational gap and threatened the future of students .
These events, which have accumulated over the years, point to a gradual path that began with reducing the role of Islamic endowments, passing through imposing strict control and siege on the entrances to Al-Aqsa Mosque, and increasing permission for the increasing incursions of extremist Jewish groups, accompanied by many Talmudic rituals such as epic prostration, bringing Torah scrolls and plant offerings into the mosque courtyards, and reaching the point of closing the holy places to Muslims and Christians during their holy times .
These rapid developments, under the guise of regional confrontations, reflect a clear trend among the occupying authorities towards imposing comprehensive control over the management of holy sites and undermining the principle of freedom of worship, which directly affects the historical and legal status quo in the city of Jerusalem, and indicates a shift in Israeli policies from partial targeting to comprehensive targeting of the Palestinian presence, in the context of exploiting the regional moment to impose changes that will be difficult to reverse in the future .
Citizens perform prayers in the street after being prevented from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque
Settlers perform Talmudic rituals, including what is known as “epic prostration,” within the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The “historical and legal status quo” in Jerusalem is a historical legal framework that governs the administration of holy sites and guarantees freedom of worship. At its core, it stipulates that the administration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and all other Islamic holy sites remains under the control of the Islamic Waqf, while guaranteeing Muslims the right to pray there without restrictions and regulating visits by non-Muslims without the performance of religious rituals within the compound. It also includes respect for the sanctity of Christian holy sites and guarantees their followers’ access to their churches and freedom to practice their religious rites.
This framework is based on the rules of international humanitarian law, particularly those relating to the protection of places of worship in occupied territories, and the prohibition of any change that affects their religious character or existing legal status, in order to preserve the religious and historical balance of the city and safeguard its diverse identity.
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M.J.
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