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captured East Jerusalem – The atmosphere in occupied East Jerusalem is tense as Palestinians in the city prepare for Islam's holy month of Ramadan.
From dawn to sunset, Ramadan requires Muslims to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations before breaking their fast with friends, family and communities.
But Palestinians who spoke to Al Jazeera say they are too sad to put down decorations or join in the celebrations.
Many are praying for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 31,000 people, in response to deadly attacks on Israeli civilians and military posts by the Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed fighters on October 7.
Others fear that Israeli officials and far-right settlers will attack Palestinians during the holy month as part of a broader campaign of collective punishment, as has happened before.
“I'm really concerned about potential provocations,” said Munir Nusseiba, a Palestinian human rights lawyer who lives in East Jerusalem. “We have learned from the past that the greater the police presence and police intervention in East Jerusalem during Ramadan, the more we will see (violent) confrontations.”
history of violence
During Ramadan, tensions often rise around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are eager to pray at the mosque, yet Israeli police have traditionally blocked entry and attacked worshippers.
Last year, Palestinians resorted to barricading themselves inside the mosque to prevent Israeli police from interfering with Itikaf, a religious practice that involves spending the entire night in prayer and worship in mosques.
But Israeli security forces managed to enter, fired stun grenades and tear gas and indiscriminately beat worshippers, including women and the elderly. At least 450 Palestinian men were arrested.
“There is nothing inherently violent about Al-Aqsa and certainly there is nothing inherently violent about Ramadan. This is important to remember because some people get the idea that this is all about Islam,” said Daniel Seidman, a lawyer and Jerusalem resident.
Palestinians attribute much of the violence to provocative actions by Israeli authorities, who have seized control of the city and the holy site.
Israeli police frequently allow hundreds of Israeli Jews – who refer to the Al-Aqsa Mosque as the Temple Mount – access to the holy site, a violation of the latest status quo agreement reached between Israel, Jordan, Palestine and the United States. The US ratified in 2015.
The agreement states that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, yet allows entry to non-Muslims on specific days and hours. However, many fear that far-right Israeli ministers may try to provoke Palestinians by allowing Israelis to disperse or clash with worshipers at the mosque.
“Everyone is cautious and afraid that Israeli settlers will try to provoke Palestinians. The Israeli government is against the Palestinian people,” said Roni, a 27-year-old Palestinian from occupied East Jerusalem.
A flashpoint?
The Israeli police are managed by the far-right Minister of Nationwide Safety Itamar Ben-Gvir. In February, he referred to as for Palestinian residents within the West Financial institution to be barred from praying in mosques throughout Ramadan.
Israeli officers later rejected his suggestion in an obvious effort to keep up peace in Jerusalem, however mentioned they’d impose some restrictions on “safety grounds”.
Seidman mentioned Ben-Gvir might nonetheless unfold chaos even when he was giving orders to officers outdoors the compound.
He advised Al Jazeera, “Simply because Ben-Gvir is just not influencing what occurs on the gate of Al-Aqsa, it doesn’t imply that he’s not influencing the issues 200 or 300 meters (220 to 330 yards) away from the mosque. Is not going to produce.”
Any violence in opposition to Palestinian worshipers in East Jerusalem or the remainder of the occupied West Financial institution might set off large-scale unrest, warned Ibrahim Matar, a Christian Palestinian from East Jerusalem.
He mentioned Al-Aqsa is symbolic for all Palestinians and recalled how the late Palestinian chief Yasser Arafat walked away from the closely criticized peace course of in 2000, partly as a result of Israel insisted on sustaining sovereignty over the mosque. .
Two months later, Israel's then-opposition chief Ariel Sharon attacked Al-Aqsa with greater than 1,000 closely armed policemen and troopers. The transfer sparked outrage that culminated within the Second Intifada, a Palestinian rebellion in opposition to the Israeli occupation that lasted 5 years.
Within the shadow of Israel's conflict on Gaza, Matar believes the same transfer by the Israelis might set off one other chapter of fashionable unrest.
“Al-Aqsa might be a flashpoint for an additional conflict,” he advised Al Jazeera.
within the shadow of conflict
Palestinian residents of Israel and the individuals of the occupied territory say that the continued bloodshed in Gaza is looming over everybody like a darkish cloud.
US President Joe Biden has tried to dealer a ceasefire in Gaza to deliver again Israeli prisoners nonetheless held by Hamas and defuse tensions throughout Ramadan. However with prospects of a ceasefire trying slim, Roney believes a conflict would pressure the scenario between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem.
He mentioned many Palestinians had been “dying inside” after watching devastating conflict scenes on tv and social media. In addition they worry that Israeli officers or ministers will benefit from their anger by harassing Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
“Most of us really feel as if we’re in a home jail. (We really feel) like now we have to remain at house (throughout Ramadan) to keep away from being crushed or harassed,” he advised Al Jazeera.
Matar agrees, saying that there’s a symbiotic relationship between Gaza and Al-Aqsa. He recalled the 11-day mini-war between Hamas and Israel in 2021, which started with Israel attacking worshipers at Al-Aqsa and evicting Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Related unrest might emerge this Ramzan additionally.
“If one a part of Palestine is struggling, each a part of Palestine is struggling,” Matar advised Al Jazeera.