First night of Ramadan marred by crowding, scuffle in Jerusalem

Crowds of worshipers headed to Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday evening to mark the first night of Ramadan, with Palestinian and Israeli media reporting heavy crowding throughout the Old City of Jerusalem and isolated incidents of clashes with police.

התחלה רעה מאוד לרמדאן. שוטרים מכים באלות מתפללים בשער אלאקצא לפני תפילת התראוויח הראשונה. שוב הוכח מי ראש הממשלה האמיתי במדינה הזו. pic.twitter.com/KIyhysCzUn

— نير حسون Nir Hasson ניר חסון (@nirhasson) March 10, 2024

Footage published from one location in the Old City showed police using batons to push back a crowd. The background of the incident was unclear. Footage from other locations showed crowds backed up at checkpoints where people were let onto the Temple Mount in a trickle.

Israel Police said that the incident seen in the footage was a short and isolated incident and that police were working to facilitate the safe freedom of worship for Muslims arriving at the Temple Mount. The rest of the night appeared to pass quietly without further disturbances.

The Abraham Initiatives NGO expressed outrage at the clashes in Jerusalem and reports of restrictions on entry to the Temple Mount, calling on Netanyahu to act urgently to restore calm and allow freedom of worship at al-Aqsa.

"The footage of police beating worshipers with batons is shameful and intolerable," added the organization. "We call on [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to act urgently in order to implement his own decision and not let [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir agitate the area through the police. Netanyahu must restore order and calm at al-Aqsa Mosque - and allow freedom of worship for the Muslim citizens of Israel."

Earlier on Sunday, police completed preparations to ensure the safety of worshipers, and noted that terrorist organizations and other entities were attempting to spread rumors and “fake news” to incite violence, with such publications increasing significantly in the last few days.

In the past two weeks, Jerusalem District Police arrested 20 suspects on charges of incitement and identification with and support for terrorism. During Ramadan, police will operate a special headquarters to combat incitement attempts.Police stressed that there would be no change in the usual rules and regulations on Temple Mount during Ramadan. Wassam Ali, the head of operations in the Jerusalem District of the Israel Police, noted that police would work to balance the freedom of worship with security requirements.

On Sunday evening, Palestinian media claimed that some young Arab men were refused entry to the Temple Mount and instead conducted Tarawih prayers (special prayers only done during Ramadan) outside the compound. The reports claimed that only women and men over the age of 40 were being allowed into al-Aqsa.

Video footage from the Old City showed large crowds attempting to enter the compound from various gates, with police setting up checkpoints at the gates for crowd control.

In February, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly planned to implement age-based restrictions on entry to the Temple Mount for both Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs. The reports sparked an uproar both in Israel and around the world, and last Tuesday, Netanyahu announced that there would be no special restrictions on entry to the site during at least the first week of Ramadan. At the end of each week of the month, security officials will hold a situational assessment and tweak regulations as needed.Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz wished Muslim citizens of Israel a Ramadan Mubarak, urging Israelis not to allow extremists to incite them to violence.

“These days, Israel is in a difficult campaign that began with a murderous attack by Hamas terrorists on all Israeli citizens, including Muslims. Our war is not against Islam – but against those who harmed the values of Islam, against those who committed crimes against humanity, and also sought to tear apart Israeli society and our shared future.

“Even today, Hamas killers want to see Ramadan turn from a month of prayers to a month of blood. But this is not our way. I know they don’t represent you, the absolute majority of Israel’s Arab citizens. October 7 proved to us, perhaps more than before, that Arab society is an integral part of Israel. When we are in danger, we are all in the same danger and we face it together.”

Shin Bet, Police thwart Hamas-linked terrorist group

Separately on Sunday, the Shin Bet and Israel Police uncovered a terrorist group based in the North that was working with Hamas to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel, the agencies announced in a joint statement on Sunday.In the past few months, security forces have arrested 13 suspects – most of whom lived in Sakhnin – involved in the organization: Akram Halaila, Muhammad Musa Abu Salah, Ali Halaila, and Muhammad Suhana Muhammad Ayyoush.

Security forces arrested a resident of the West Bank, Suhaib Jalboush, for selling weapons to the group, including four firearms, ammunition, and vests.

After questioning the suspects, Shin Bet and police found that Muhammad Haled and Muhammad Yusuf Halaila recruited the other members from within Sakhnin, purchasing weapons from sources in the West Bank.

One of the suspects, Muhammad Khaled Halaila, was in contact with Hamas members in the Gaza Strip, who instructed him on how to prepare explosive devices and directed him to recruit more people.

The suspects discussed several possible locations for an attack, including a bus full of soldiers in Haifa. They also discussed photographing a Rafael weapons factory to help Hamas terrorists fire rockets at the site.

Suspects also took part in May 2021 riots

Some were also found to have participated in throwing firebombs at the town of Eshbal, near Sakhnin, during Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021. Additionally, in 2021, Muhammad Yusuf Halaila began studying at a university in Jenin to get closer to Hamas terrorists in the West Bank city. While there, Halaila learned how to make an explosive device and operate it remotely.

On Sunday morning, the Haifa District Attorney’s Office filed charges against the 13 suspects and requested that their arrest be extended until the end of the proceedings.

“This is a serious operation against [national] security [organized by] Israeli citizens who hatched a terrorist plan with the involvement of Hamas in Gaza in a way that also has the potential to harm the normative majority in Arab society,” said the security agencies.

They added that they will “continue operating to thwart terrorism and locate assailants who take part in activities that endanger national security, including those who took part in terrorist activities during the Guardians of the Walls riots.”

Eyal Harari, the commander of the Central Unit in the Northern District of the Israel Police, noted that the number of such incidents is “only increasing,” adding that “everything is happening with the contribution and encouragement of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations; even Iran is contributing.”

According to Harari, the investigation began in late January and took 48 days to complete. Police have been dealing with several such cases, including one case in which an Israeli Arab terrorist planned to attack a refinery in Haifa.

“Those Israeli-Arabs against whom indictments are filed are a handful of terrorists who are incited and coordinated by terrorist organizations. They do not represent the entirety of the sector who are part of the Israeli melting pot and have proven their loyalty,” stressed Harari.