Jerusalem: Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, on Sunday called on the Muslim world to show solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle against Israeli crimes. A statement issued by Sabri’s office on the Eid al-Fitr holiday highlighted ‘the ongoing genocide in Gaza and military aggression in the occupied West Bank.’
According to Anadolu Agency, Sabri extended Eid greetings to the Muslim world, noting that ‘while the community celebrates the occasion, the Palestinian people continue to endure pain and sorrow.’ He remarked, ‘This Eid comes as blood is still being shed, and Al-Aqsa remains besieged under the weight of occupation.’ Sabri emphasized that Gaza’s children have been ‘deprived of joy for over a year and a half, enduring Eid in conditions of hunger, illness, and despair.’
The situation in Gaza deteriorated further after the Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, resulting in over 920 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries. This attack shattered the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. Since October 2023, more than 50,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Israeli military onslaught on Gaza, with over 114,000 injured.
Sabri also spoke about the isolation of Jerusalem, where Muslims have been barred from accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform religious duties. He accused Israel of intensifying efforts to Judaize East Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, through practices such as illegal settlement expansion and forced displacement.
He pointed out ‘the dire situation in the occupied West Bank, which continues to suffer from persistent destruction and siege, exacerbating the hardships faced by Palestinians.’ Additionally, Sabri called attention to the plight of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, where more than 9,500 detainees endure abuse, neglect, and medical mistreatment, leading to numerous deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights reports.
Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank, where at least 940 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the onslaught on Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.