According to Palestinian reports, on Monday, November 10, 2025, a group of Jews arrived at the ancient Muslim cemetery located near Bab al-Rahma, adjacent to the eastern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. They allegedly vandalized several gravestones and held a public prayer on the site.
Palestinian organizations and institutions, including Hamas, have issued angry responses and called for protection of the site, which they describe as sacred to Islam. In a statement published by Hamas, the incident was described as “a new Judaization crime that joins the daily attacks targeting the Holy City, aiming to erase its Islamic and Christian landmarks and falsify its history and identity.” The organization called on the international community and the Arab League to act immediately to protect Jerusalem’s historical and religious monuments from what it called “the actions of the Zionist intruders.”
In addition, a statement by the Islamic Supreme Council said that the vandalism of gravestones in Jerusalem is “an assault on the dignity of the dead as well as the living,” adding that such acts violate “divine laws and international norms.” The council also called on international organizations to put an end to “the occupation’s aggression against Islamic holy sites.”
The struggle over Jerusalem’s sanctity
The Bab al-Rahma Muslim cemetery is one of the most historic and sacred sites in the Muslim world in Jerusalem. It stretches along the eastern wall of the Old City and the Temple Mount, near Bab al-Rahma, and serves as an active burial ground to this day, though parts of it are restricted by Israeli authorities.
The cemetery contains the graves of hundreds of key figures in Islamic history, including companions of the Prophet Muhammad (Sahaba), leaders, scholars, and warriors who died during the conquests of Jerusalem in 638 and 1187.
Palestinians claim that Jews regularly harass the site. Due to its proximity to the Temple Mount, public prayers, shofar blowings, and Israeli flag displays are held there by those who, for religious reasons, do not ascend the Mount itself. Two years ago, a donkey’s severed head was placed at the cemetery’s entrance. Next to the compound, the National Park “Walls Around Jerusalem” is being developed – a project that Palestinians say ignores the site’s status as Islamic Waqf land.
The vandalism of the gravestones marks another stage in the struggle over the site’s character. The cemetery remains a focal point of friction and tension, reflecting the broader conflict over Jerusalem’s identity.
