Husam Sidar (also known as “Abu Jihad”), a senior maintenance official with the Waqf, attempted yesterday, Monday, to sneak into Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and was arrested by police. The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended his detention for investigation until Thursday, March 5, 2026.
Why was Husam Sidar arrested on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem?
Sidar, about 46, a resident of the Bab Hutta neighborhood in the Old City, adjacent to the Temple Mount, was detained by officers when he arrived at one of the compound’s gates. Although it is the height of the month of Ramadan, the Temple Mount compound has been closed to visitors and worshippers since Operation “Roaring Lion” began on Saturday, as part of Home Front Command directives prohibiting mass gatherings in public spaces. Sidar himself had already been barred from the Temple Mount for six months about a month ago, under an administrative order issued by the Jerusalem District Police Commander as part of preparations for Ramadan and the removal of activists known for public disorder and incitement.
Sidar has worked in the Waqf’s construction department for over 15 years and is currently considered a senior technical staff member, well-versed and highly familiar with the structures within the compound. His role includes responsibility for sensitive engineering projects in the mosque area.
Sidar has had numerous confrontations with police related to his work at Al-Aqsa Mosque. As early as December 2013, he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting officers at the site. In December 2016, he was summoned for questioning at the “Kishle” police station and received a six-month administrative ban from the mosque, on the grounds that his presence posed a threat to public order.
In May 2021, he was arrested in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood during tensions in Jerusalem amid the unrest surrounding Operation “Guardian of the Walls.”
