For the third consecutive Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli occupation forces have imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian worshippers seeking to access Al-Aqsa Mosque from the occupied West Bank, in what rights groups describe as a blatant violation of human rights and religious freedom.
Heavily armed Israeli forces were deployed at the Qalandiya checkpoint north of Jerusalem and Checkpoint 300 separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem. Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers carried out thorough inspections of identity documents and barred entry to men under the age of 55 and women under 50 unless in possession of special permits—restrictions that amount to discriminatory measures in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits collective punishment and discrimination based on ethnicity or religion.
Dozens of elderly Palestinians were reportedly turned away at the checkpoints despite intending to perform prayers at Al-Aqsa. At Qalandiya, Israeli forces temporarily sealed the checkpoint gates, preventing movement and infringing upon the internationally protected right to freedom of movement.
Journalists were not spared from harassment, with at least one reporter reportedly detained and interrogated on-site. Such actions violate press freedom as enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Freedom of worship and movement are fundamental rights protected under international law, including Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees every individual the right to freedom of religion and to practise their faith. Yet Israeli authorities continue to systematically deny thousands of Palestinians access to religious sites in occupied East Jerusalem through the imposition of arbitrary and discriminatory checkpoint restrictions.
International treaties—including the 1907 Hague Regulations and the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention—require occupying powers to respect and protect the rights of populations under occupation, including their freedom to practise religion. Nevertheless, Israel’s ongoing restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa represent a flagrant breach of these obligations.
As such violations persist, a pressing question remains: how long will the international community remain silent in the face of these repeated assaults on the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people?
