Ramadan began on February 18 with Israeli forces arresting the imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, blocking Waqf workers from installing shade structures and medical stations, and announcing that only 10,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank would be permitted to pray at one of Islam’s holiest sites on Fridays — down from the hundreds of thousands who have historically attended in previous years.

Only men over 55, women over 50, and children under 12 qualified for the restricted permits. Thousands of worshippers who had obtained permits were turned away anyway at checkpoints. As Al Jazeera reported from the Qalandiya checkpoint, in previous years up to 250,000 worshippers attended Al-Aqsa during Ramadan Fridays. On the first Friday of this Ramadan, Palestinian authorities said the cap of 10,000 was reached before many permit holders could even cross.

According to Middle East Eye, Israeli authorities also extended the length of settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa compound — from four to five hours — at the direction of the Jerusalem District Commander appointed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has himself repeatedly led raids on the mosque and has publicly advocated for Israeli “sovereignty” over the site. More than 250 expulsion orders were issued to Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem banning them from entering the compound for the duration of Ramadan.

On the same day, in Hebron, Israeli forces demolished a residential building complex belonging to the Salhab family in the Al-Harayeq area near the Hagai settlement — a six-apartment building and a four-apartment building, housing more than 40 people, including children — despite the family presenting legal ownership documents. Bulldozers leveled both structures after troops forced residents to evacuate.

There is no version of this that is routine. Blocking the faithful from praying at Al-Aqsa during the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, extending settler raids on the same compound, and demolishing homes of documented legal owners — on the same day — is a statement of intent. The United States government, which identifies religious freedom as a core value of American foreign policy, said nothing.