Israel extends length of settler raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque as Ramadan begins

Israeli authorities extended the duration of settler raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque by an hour as Ramadan began, while increasing restrictions on Palestinian access. The decision allows ultra-nationalist groups to remain at the occupied East Jerusalem site for five hours instead of four. Simultaneously, Israel has tightened access for Muslim Palestinians, limiting entry for West Bank residents to only 10,000 people over 50 or under 12 on Fridays, with prior army approval. These actions, which also included the detention of an Al-Aqsa imam, are described by critics as an attempt to disrupt Muslim observance and assert further Israeli control over the holy site.