At Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque, Ramadan brings uncertainty and fear

The golden Dome of the Rock, part of the site that Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary and Jews refer to as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City. JERUSALEM — Just days before the start of Ramadan — the busiest and often most volatile month in Jerusalem’s Old City — the offices of al-Aqsa Mosque were bustling with preparations and uncertainty.

Now, in the wake of those attacks, an even more devastating Gaza war rages. The Israeli campaign against Hamas has killed more than 30,000 Gazans, health officials there say, and with Ramadan only days away, tensions around al-Aqsa are soaring. Hard-liners in the Israeli government have pushed to limit the number, age and gender of Palestinians allowed on the plateau, prompting warnings from both sides that restrictions could lead to violence.

Part of the problem, staffers said, is that Israeli officials don’t talk to them directly, leaving them at the mercy of contradictory media reports.“There is no communication between them and us,” said Mohammed al-Sharif. “We still do not know what is going to happen.” The lead-up to this wartime Ramadan has exposed divisions in Israel’s government and security establishment. The most conservative members of the government want to cut off access to al-Aqsa for most Palestinians as long aswho controls Israeli police, pushed plans to largely ban worshipers from the site, citing security risks and the hostages, Israeli media reported last month.

“The army and the intelligence professionals are telling everyone that it does not do us any good to pour fuel on the fire right now,” said a former military official familiar with discussions inside the cabinet. “The fire is burning very hot as it is.” He spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.

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