Warnings of an “Israeli” Plan to Seize 70% of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa
(Translated)
https://www.al-waie.org/archives/article/20500
Al Waie Magazine Issue No. 482
Forty-first Year, Rabi’ I 1448 AH corresponding to August 2026 CE

Warnings from human rights and sanctities circles are mounting regarding “Israeli” plans aimed at altering the historical and legal status quo of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa.

Dr. Hassan Khater, head of the International Al-Quds Center, stated that since the occupation of Al-Quds in 1967, occupation authorities have ceaselessly attempted to impose direct control over Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa. He noted that the current situation marks a shift into a “more dangerous phase,” aimed at stripping the Masjid of its Islamic identity and transforming it into a security zone subject to occupation measures.

Khater explained that a key current scheme targets the eastern area of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa—including the Gate of Mercy (Bab al-Rahma) Salah hall and its surrounding courtyards—by gradually converting it into a closed zone under the security management of occupation authorities and isolating it from the rest of the masjid complex.

Regarding plans for partition, Khater pointed to a proposal submitted in 2023 by Likud Knesset member Amit Halevi, which calls for imposing “Israeli” control over vast sections of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa.

Under this proposal, “Israeli” control would extend to the Dome of the Rock and the central courtyards, as well as the northern areas stretching from the Lions’ Gate (Bab al-Asbat) to the Al-Ghawanmeh Gate. Conversely, the Islamic presence would be confined solely to the Al-Qibli Masjid located in the southern section.

Khater emphasized that implementing this plan would mean the occupation seizing control of approximately 70% of the total area (144 dunams) of the masjid, effectively shifting the division from a temporal arrangement to a permanent spatial partition—mirroring the scenario at the Al-Khalil Masjid in Al-Khalil (Hebron). These moves are part of a long series of “Israeli” measures initiated after the 1967 occupation of East Al-Quds, when the Jewish entity seized control of the keys to the Mughrabi Gate—a site that subsequently became a primary route for settler incursions.

In recent years, the “Israeli” military has intensified its targeting of the historical and legal status quo at Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa—an arrangement stipulating that the entire masjid complex, including its walls and underground areas, is the exclusive right of Muslims and under the administration of the Islamic Waqf.

Tel Aviv has also escalated measures against the masjid’s guards and Waqf staff through arrests, expulsion orders, and the obstruction of restoration and maintenance work. Simultaneously, it is working to clear the eastern area of Muslim worshippers while creating increasing space for settlers to perform Talmudic rituals under the protection of occupation forces.

Observers believe that current plans are not merely temporary security measures; rather, they represent a systematic “Israeli” strategy to alter the identity of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa and impose a new reality on the ground by dismantling its geographical and administrative unity.