Thousands Perform First Ramadan Tarawih Prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds
Thousands of Palestinians performed the first Tarawih prayer of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Tuesday evening at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, as Zionist forces maintained a visible presence across the site.
Worshippers filled the mosque’s covered prayer halls and open courtyards, while Sheikh Yusuf Abu Sneineh, preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, led the evening prayers, according to eyewitnesses. Footage shared online showed Zionist forces stationed inside the compound and moving among worshippers during the prayers.
Earlier in the day, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, Grand Mufti of Al-Quds and the Palestinian territories, announced that Wednesday would mark the first day of the holy month. He said the crescent of Ramadan had been sighted in accordance with Islamic legal procedures, confirming that Feb. 18, 2026 corresponds to the first day of Ramadan 1447 in the Islamic calendar.
The prayers took place amid heightened tensions in occupied East Al-Quds, particularly in and around the Old City and the Al-Aqsa compound, where Zionist forces have intensified security measures, including arrests and temporary bans against religious figures and activists.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor reported that Zionist restrictions across the West Bank, including East Al-Quds, had intensified ahead of Ramadan, affecting access to places of worship. According to figures cited by the Al-Quds Governorate, more than 250 orders barring Palestinians from entering Al-Aqsa have been issued since the beginning of 2026.
On Monday evening, Zionist forces detained Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abbasi, imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, before releasing him and issuing a renewable one-week ban from the site, the governorate said.
The Zionist entity has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Al-Quds, since launching its military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Palestinians view the escalation — including killings, arrests, displacement, and settlement expansion — as a step toward formal annexation of the territory.
