Israel braces for turbulent Ramadan as Hamas demands ‘uprising’ in Jerusalem

With Ramadan set to begin at sundown on this evening, Hamas has called on residents of Jerusalem to stage an “uprising” against Israel.

Harun Nasser al-Din, the head of Hamas's Jerusalem Office called on people living in the city to stage a “full confrontation against the occupation's incursions [and] an uprising against its projects”.

He also urged “no surrender” to what he termed “attempts at Judaisation and expulsion".

Al-Din also referenced the demolition of illegally built structures in Jerusalem, accusing Israel of implementing "malicious plans for expulsion and Judaisation projects." He further emphasised that "all plans and schemes will be shattered by the escalation of the resistance in all its forms."

Similar language has previously been used to justify violence and terror attacks.

In response to mounting security concerns, Israel has reintroduced “safety restrictions” around the Al-Aqsa mosque, which is among the holiest sites in Islam, during the month.

These are expected to take a similar form to last year, which saw only men aged over 55 and women aged over 50 allowed to enter the compound.

Thousands of police officers are also expected to be deployed in the Old City.

Government spokesman David Mincer said: “What we cannot, of course, and no country would countenance, is people seeking to foment violence and attacks on anyone else.”

But Hamas has seized on the announcement, as well as the mooted cap on the number of worshippers inside the compound to 10,000 at a time.

The terror group claimed that restricting the number of worshippers constitutes "a dangerous escalation and precedent aimed at undermining freedom of worship at Al-Aqsa”.

It also warned Israel about "the consequences of implementing these recommendations," stating that it would bear full responsibility for any resulting escalation.

Yet, at the same time, Hamas is not ruling out an extension of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire. If additional phases proceed, they will coincide with the volatile period of Ramadan, which has seen an uptick in terror attacks in the past.

Overnight on Wednesday, 642 Palestinian prisoners were released as part of the deal, including some who were sent to eastern Jerusalem, in return for the bodies of four Israeli hostages. This marked the last hostage release of the first phase.

Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanoua told the Al-Araby channel that "the organisation is ready to extend the first phase of the hostage deal or merge the two phases according to red lines".

The group set several conditions for the second phase, including a permanent end to the war in Gaza and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip.

But an anonymous Israeli official briefed reporters yesterday that the IDF will not withdraw from the strategically vital Philadelphi Corridor even if required by the agreement, creating another potential flashpoint.