Hamas’ leader has called on Palestinians to march to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque at the start of Ramadan next month in a move that could threaten hostage negotiations and a cease-fire deal in Gaza.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh delivered a televised speech Wednesday urging Palestinians to flood the mosque in the holy city after Israel announced last week that it will set limits to how many could congregate to celebrate Ramadan.
“This is a call on our people in Jerusalem and the West Bank to march to Al-Aqsa since the first day of Ramadan,” Haniyeh said.
The declaration will likely set the stage for an Israel-Palestinian clash in Jerusalem come March 10, which would complicate a temporary truce deal being brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt.
President Biden had touted that there was an agreement set for a hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas during Ramadan, with the president hoping a cease-fire could be in place by next Monday.
Hamas, however, has yet to announce its decision on the proposed deal, which calls for a 40-day truce and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Qatari mediators have said that while the talks remain positive, several key issues have yet to be resolved as Hamas and Israeli negotiators continue to hammer out the details in Qatar.
Israel has previously issued limits around visits to Al-Aqsa, typically banning young worshippers from the site that officials say curbs violent demonstrations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that given recent clashes in Jerusalem and the West Bank over the war in Gaza, it was necessary to set some restrictions on the amount of Israeli Muslims allowed into the mosque.
“The prime minister made a balanced decision to allow freedom of worship within the security needs determined by professionals,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has warned that Hamas supporters will likely use the prayer event during Ramadan to incite violence in Israel.
“The entry of tens of thousands of haters in a victory celebration on the Temple Mount is a security threat to Israel,” Ben Gvir said as he called for greater scrutiny at Al-Aqsa.
The start of Ramadan was also the deadline Netanyahu previously gave Hamas to free the remaining 134 hostages in Gaza or else the IDF would begin its ground offensive into Rafah, where more than 1.4 million refugees have taken shelter.
While Netanyahu has gone to say that the assault would be delayed, following international outcry over the need for a robust civilian evacuation plan, the prime minister vowed Sunday that the attack into Rafah and the end of the war will occur within weeks.
With Post wires