The Islamic State (IS) group, also known as ISIS, has allegedly urged its supporters to ignite fires at churches and synagogues in various countries, including the UK, over the Easter weekend. According to reports from the Express, IS, through its al-Naba newsletter, has called for attacks across Europe, Russia, UAE, Syria, Tunisia, and Morocco in response to the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem. The extremist group claimed responsibility for causing 60 casualties in “15 operations” within the past week.
Israeli authorities shut down the Al-Aqsa Mosque in late February, citing security concerns amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Israel also banned large gatherings at significant sites like the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall in Jerusalem, leading Muslim worshippers to gather outside the Old City walls for Eid prayers during Ramadan to be as close as possible to the mosque.
During the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in February, Israel limited the entry of Palestinians from the West Bank to 10,000 individuals, only allowing men over 55, women over 50, and children under 12. In contrast, about 90,000 Palestinians attended the same Ramadan prayers at the mosque last March under strict Israeli security.
Known as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims and the Temple Mount to Jews, Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and the holiest site in Judaism, has been a frequent flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The closure of the mosque, now lasting 34 days, has drawn condemnation from the Palestinian Authority, expressing concerns over extremist settlers pushing for access to the closed site for rituals during Passover in April. Additionally, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Palm Sunday, leading Spain to summon Israel’s top diplomat in protest for ensuring normal Catholic worship practices.
Foreign ministers from several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, and Qatar, have criticized ongoing Israeli limitations on Muslim and Christian worship in Jerusalem. IS’s newsletter also touched on Palestinian prisoners’ situations within Israeli jails, following Israel’s approval of a contentious law that would impose the death penalty as the standard sentence for Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks.
