Hamas Declares Al-Aqsa a “Red Line”, Vows Resistance Against “Israeli” Aggression

By Staff, Agencies

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has issued a strong warning that the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque remains a “red line” for the Palestinian people, pledging unwavering resistance to any “Israeli” aggression or settler incursions against the holy site—regardless of the cost.

In a statement on Friday, Haroun Nasser Al-Din, a senior Hamas official and head of the movement’s Al-Quds Affairs Office, stressed that al-Aqsa is both a religious and national priority for Palestinians.

“Al-Aqsa is a red line. We will not allow the occupation’s malicious plans against the Mosque and against Al-Quds [‘Jerusalem’] to pass, no matter the cost,” he said.

Nasser al-Din condemned the growing efforts by “Israeli” occupation police and settlers to deny Palestinian worshippers access to the Mosque’s courtyards. He accused “Israel” of seeking to impose a new reality through forced control and Judaization policies.

“These attacks are part of the occupation’s systematic plan to empty Al-Aqsa of its people and impose full control over it,” he added.

He also commended the continued resilience of Palestinians who persist in defending the sacred site despite the rising wave of restrictions, detentions, and assaults. Their presence, he said, represents an unshakable commitment to the Mosque and to Jerusalem’s Islamic and Palestinian identity.

The Hamas official urged Palestinians in occupied Al-Quds and in 1948-occupied Palestine to intensify their presence at Al-Aqsa and resist attempts by the “Israeli” entity to alter the city’s religious and historical fabric.

Despite the harsh military restrictions imposed by the “Israeli” occupation, approximately 40,000 Palestinians attended Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Al-Quds.

Local sources reported that “Israeli” police tightened security at several gates—especially Al-Amud and Al-Asbat—where IDs were checked, many were denied entry, and several young men were arrested while trying to reach the compound.

Meanwhile, the “Israeli” entity continues to enforce discriminatory policies that block thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank from accessing Al-Aqsa. Entry through Al-Quds checkpoints is restricted to those with special permits—policies widely condemned by human rights groups as institutionalized religious discrimination.

The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs reported a marked escalation in “Israeli” violations against both Islamic and Christian religious sites in June, particularly targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil [“Hebron”].

According to the ministry’s monthly report released Thursday, “Israeli” forces and settlers carried out over 25 raids on the al-Aqsa Compound during June. These included the performance of Talmudic rituals, strict limits on the number of Muslim worshippers allowed inside, and repeated closures of the Mosque—shut down 11 times under the pretext of “security concerns.”

The ministry also documented 89 instances where the “Israeli” occupation banned the call to prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil. The site was closed entirely to worshippers and visitors for 12 consecutive days during the month.

These developments come amid growing tensions across occupied Palestine, with Hamas and other Palestinian factions vowing continued resistance against “Israeli” policies of displacement, religious restriction, and settler violence in Al-Quds and beyond.