Israeli authorities extended the six-month ban on Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, head of Jerusalem’s Supreme Islamic Council, prohibiting him from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The extension order was handed to Sabri’s lawyer, banning the 87-year-old Palestinian cleric from entering the mosque till April 19, 2027, according to Quds Press.
The decision represents the latest in a series of restrictions against Sabri, who has been banned from the mosque since August 2024 even as he served as the mosque’s preacher. An official from Sabri’s office, speaking anonymously, said that Israeli authorities have repeatedly extended the ban, which was set to expire in October.
Sabri has been detained on multiple occasions, with authorities issuing orders to restrict his access to the revered mosque and prevent him from traveling outside the occupied East Jerusalem.
In 2024, Sabri was arrested for mourning the death of the slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during a Friday sermon at the Al-Aqsa mosque. He had referred to the leader as a “martyr” and said the people of Jerusalem and its surroundings mourned Haniyeh from the pulpit of the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is the third holiest place of Muslims and is the national symbol of Palestine and is revered by all three Abrahamic religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews.
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Source: The Siasat Daily
