Israel prepares for intensified Ramadan violence focused on the Temple Mount
The commander of Hamas in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan speaking to reporters in Beirut on Monday, called on Palestinians to intensify hostilities during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and “make every moment of Ramadan a confrontation.”
Ramadan will begin on March 11th and last until April 9th. This comes as mediators from the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt have been working to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The month of Ramadan is the most significant in the Islamic calendar. Muslims observe “Laylat al-Qadr” marking the end of the revelation of the Quran. As such, the entire month is a period of intensified religious observance. Muslims seek closeness to Allah, engage in repentance, and abstain from worldly pleasures during daylight hours, focusing on acts of kindness, visiting relatives, and repairing interpersonal relationships. During Ramadan, Muslims strive to get closer to Allah through extended prayers.
While Muslim religious leaders speak of “the month of forgiveness, repentance, and atonement,” in the Palestinian streets, Ramadan has turned into a month of violence and terror. Ramadan in Israel has become a month of terror and bloodshed, increasingly associated with religious and nationalist violence.
While some claim the attack on Israel on Oct. 7 was a nationalist struggle against Israel, Hamas dubbed the attack the “Al Aqsa wave”. In January, Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for the Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas terrorist organization, made a televised appearance on the 100th day of the Israeli war on Gaza in which he explicitly cited the motivation for the attack as the arrival of five red heifers in Israel.
In anticipation of a month of violence focused on the Temple Mount, the Israeli government’s war cabinet announced that visitation rights to the Temple Mount for West Bank Palestinian Muslims would be restricted to individuals over the age of 60 and under the age of 10.
Hamas responded by issuing a warning over its Telegram channel.
“Let our enemy know that souls are boiling… [our] anger is imminent… and an explosion is coming in response to any restrictions on the entry of Muslims to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan,” Hamas wrote.
“We call on the people of our Palestinian people in the occupied territories [i.e. Israel], Jerusalem and the West Bank, to escalate the confrontation of the occupation everywhere,” Hamas wrote in a subsequent message on Telegram. They called on Palestinians “to mobilize and march to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, to protect it from the desecration of the usurping settlers, and to thwart all fascist plans targeting the Holy Mosque and the Holy City.”
The Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy compiled a study of Palestinian violence during Ramadan. In 2022, Ramadan concluded with the murder of 15 Israelis in Palestinian terror. In 2023 alone, there were 50 Palestinian terror incidents in all territories, including Gaza and East Jerusalem, despite Al-Aqsa Mosque, the most sensitive site in the region, being accessible for prayers with over 400,000 Palestinian worshippers.
During Ramadan 2023, dozens of terror incidents occurred, including rocket attacks from Gaza and Lebanon. Among the 50 terror cases, one vehicular attack took place, along with numerous shootings and rocket launches from Gaza and Lebanon. In the same period, Iranian drones crossed Syrian airspace into Israel. Hamas incited young Palestinians directly and through social media, claiming that Israel was changing the status quo on the Temple Mount.
In 2015, the infamous “Knife Intifada” terror acts occurred, with 620 incidents in October alone, resulting in the deaths of 11 Israelis. However, during July and August, coinciding with Ramadan, 230 attacks were recorded, leading to the deaths of two Israelis.
In 2016, terror acts against Israelis continued with 103 incidents in the month corresponding to Ramadan, resulting in the deaths of five Israelis. The rest of the year saw 169 attacks with five casualties.
In Ramadan 2020, 80 attacks occurred, while the remaining eleven months witnessed 71 incidents.
In Ramadan 2021, Hamas initiated a conflict by launching missiles towards Jerusalem, leading to Operation “Guardian of the Walls” and a surge in unprecedented violence from Arab residents against Jews.
In 2021, Al-Jazeera aired an article titled “The Month of Jihad and Victories” depicting Ramadan as a season of attacks and triumphs for Palestinian organizations.
A Palestinian lecturer described Ramadan as the month of Jihad and victories in Islam’s history, asserting that Palestinian terror organizations exploit the religious atmosphere to encourage Jihad activities.
Operation “Protective Edge” in July 2014 serves as a model for terror organizations during Ramadan, representing the “most prominent acts of resistance.” Palestinian resistance leverages the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan to boost the morale of its people, often conducting attacks specifically during Ramadan.
This phenomenon is rooted in religious sentiments and historical events in Islamic history, including the Battle of Badr, Andalusian conquest, Battle of Hittin, and Ein Jalut, all of which occurred during Ramadan and serve as inspirations for Palestinian terrorism.
In Ramadan 2017, three Palestinians from the Jabarin family attacked Israeli police officers near the Temple Mount, resulting in the deaths of two officers.
Ramadan is considered the month of battles: Every year during Ramadan, Egypt commemorates the Yom Kippur War as one of the “greatest victories in Islamic history.”
In Egyptian journalism, this event is often discussed alongside the Battle of Badr, the Andalusian conquest, the Battle of Hittin in the 7th century, and more
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