Ramadan flashpoint as Arabs called to march on Temple Mount

Ramadan risks becoming a flashpoint in the conflict between Israel and Hamas as the militant group’s political leader calls on Arabs to barricade themselves inside the sacred site.

Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Doha. Picture: AFP.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh has called on Arabs to march on the al-Aqsa Mosque (known to Jews as Temple Mount) in Jerusalem and barricade themselves inside at the start of Ramadan, as the Muslim holy month risks becoming a flashpoint in the conflict between Israel and the militant group.

Although US President Joe Biden has said there were hopes of a ceasefire by Ramadan, which begins on March 10, there have been no significant moves toward a truce, and Benjamin Netanyahu has said troops would invade the south Gaza city of Rafah if there is no agreement before March 10.

Encouraging Arabs to protest against limits set by Israel on Palestinian worshippers at the holy site, Haniyeh said in a video address from Lebanon that Al-Aqsa “will remain the address of confrontation, and our people will defend their mosques, churches and sanctities with all forms of resistance.”

Adding to tensions, Haniyeh said Hamas was showing flexibility in truce negotiations “out of concern for the blood of our people,” but said the militants would continue to fight, even throughout Ramadan.

The Temple Mount/al-Aqsa is sacred to both Jews and Muslims; the Second Intifada was triggered in 2000 when Israeli politician Ariel Sharon paid a provocative visit to the site.

Senior police officials have warned unrest could be sparked in Jerusalem and mixed Arab-Jewish cities if far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is successful in restricting access to the Temple Mount – a sacred site for both Jews and Palestinians – for Israeli-Arabs or Palestinians during Ramadan.

On Wednesday (AEDT) Israel warned that Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas would use Ramadan to inflame the region and create another October 7, if restrictions were put in place.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told troops that Iran wanted to provoke Palestinians by using the proposed restrictions and tensions in the West Bank to create “the second stage of October 7, and ignite the ground.”

Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly given terror group Hezbollah the green light to launch large scale attacks on Israel, warning that once the Israeli military had invaded Rafah, Lebanon “will be next”.

The Arab Post, citing high level Iranian and Lebanese sources, reported that Tehran had told Hezbollah leaders it could attack Israel only after it “had become certain of Israel’s intention” to carry out” a ground incursion in Rafah.

The Arab Post and Israel’s Jerusalem Post reported Tehran gave the go-ahead after a high-level meeting in which Hezbollah leaders told Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Israel was planning an attack on Lebanon.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah delivers a televised speech. Nasrallah vowed on Friday 16 that Israel will pay "with blood" for civilians killed this week Picture: AFP.

In a meeting in Beirut on Monday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned Esmail Qaani, the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force commander “information was obtained” indicating Israel’s plan to launch a large-scale assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon, probably during Ramadan.

“Hassan Nasrallah told Qaani that the attack is likely to be very imminent, most likely in the month of Ramadan, or with Israel’s invasion of the city of Rafah,” an IRGC source told the Arabic Post.

“Nasrallah said that he is completely certain of [Israel’s] intention to launch a large-scale attack on Lebanon, and he asked Qaani to give him complete freedom in how he intends to attack,” another diplomatic source in Iran said.