In a series of developments on 18 February 2026, Israeli authorities extended morning visiting hours for Jews and tourists on the Al-Aqsa/Al-Haram al-Sharif complex and announced restricted Palestinian access for Friday prayers during Ramadan, ironically permitting only older men, older women and young children from the West Bank, while violence and settler attacks continued in nearby villages, the Palestinian Ministry of Health and local sources reported (18/02/2026).

In Mikhmas, settler gunfire killed Nasrallah Abu Siam and injured others; in Beit Ummar, the home of Walid Sabarna’s family was demolished; Qalandiya refugee camp residents reported beatings and looting; and municipal officials in Jerusalem called for eviction of UNRWA offices, escalating pressure on humanitarian infrastructure. Fifteen US Congressional Democrats requested Secretary of State Marco Rubio to hold Israel accountable over the detention and alleged abuse of a Palestinian American minor, reflecting international concern.

These events epitomise the erosion of protections under occupation, where administrative changes to religious access are matched by on-the-ground coercion, demolitions and impunity, underscoring an urgent human-rights imperative for external actors to press for demilitarised access, accountability for settler violence and restoration of basic civil protections (local ministry reports and congressional letters, 18/02/2026).

Sources: Palestinian Ministry of Health and local reporting, 18 February 2026; US congressional letter requests, 18 February 2026.