Jerusalem, 2 October 1187. The gates of the holy city swung open as Salah Uddin Ayyubi, the lion-hearted Muslim leader, marched in after defeating the Crusaders at Battle of Hattin.
On that historic Friday, 27th of Rajab, 583 AH, the world witnessed not just the fall of a fortress, but the rebirth of a sanctuary. Masjid al-Aqsa, silenced and scarred for nearly 90 years, was restored to Azan (call to pray).
The Crusaders had stormed Jerusalem in 1099, bathing its streets in blood and turning the sacred mosque into a palace and a military barrack. Crosses replaced Qur’anic verses, knights replaced worshippers.
For almost a century, Al-Aqsa stood as a prisoner of conquest. Yet, on that October day in 1187, history took a turn.
Ayyubi's first order was not revenge, but restoration. The mosque was washed with rose water. Christian relics were removed and the carpets of prayer were spread once more.
The jewel of his victory was the installation of Nur ad-Din Minbar, a pulpit carved decades earlier by his mentor Nur ad-Din Zengi, who had sworn it would one day stand in a free Al-Aqsa.
The people wept as the voice of the muezzin soared above Jerusalem, echoing across its ancient stones: 'Allahu Akbar (The God is the greatest).'
That moment in 1187 was more than a military triumph. It was a healing of wounds, a reminder that faith could outlive empires.
When Salah Uddin Ayyubi recaptured Jerusalem on 2 October 1187, he did not repeat what the Crusaders had done in 1099, when they massacred tens of thousands of Muslims and Jews.
Instead, Salah Uddin Ayyubi became famous for his mercy and chivalry; He negotiated the surrender of Crusader defenders, led by Balian of Ibelin.
He allowed Christian civilians to ransom themselves and leave safely. Many poor people who could not afford ransom were even freed at Salah Uddin’s own expense or by charitable donations from his commanders.
There was no mass killing inside Jerusalem after the surrender.
That said, historians note that during the Battle of Hattin (July 1187), Salah Uddin’s army did kill a large number of Crusader soldiers in combat.
He also ordered the execution of some members of the militant Knights Templar and Hospitallers, because they were seen as religious warriors who would never stop fighting.
But controversy arises because those who couldn’t pay risked being sold into slavery.
To his credit, Salah Uddin and his brother Al-Adil personally paid ransoms for many poor families and Muslim charities also helped; but not everyone was freed.
Some historians argue Salah Uddin’s “mercy” was also political strategy; by treating Christians well, he improved his reputation in Europe and among Muslim rivals. Mercy made it easier to govern Jerusalem, since mass slaughter could have provoked endless resistance.
So, while his mercy was real, it was also practical statecraft.
But centuries later, the dawn feels distant. Today, Al-Aqsa once again stands at the heart of turmoil. Israeli soldiers patrol its courtyards, while Palestinian worshippers enter under the shadow of checkpoints.
Where Ayyubi once cleansed the mosque with rose water, now the air is heavy with tear gas. Where cries of victory once rang, now mothers weep for their children in Gaza and the West Bank.
Since 1967, Israel has occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza (though withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it still exerts control in many ways).
The presence and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are deeply contentious. Palestinians see them as encroachment on land meant for a future Palestinian state, while many Israelis argue for historical, security or religious claims.
Recent government policies in Israel have approved more settlement expansion and infrastructure that effectively connect or extend settlements, which many critics believe undermines the possibility of contiguous Palestinian territory.
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza live under various restrictions; movement limits, checkpoints, barriers and sometimes military operations. These fuel resentment and are seen as daily infringements on basic rights.
Israeli security concerns (because of past attacks from militant groups) lead to these restrictions, which Israel says are necessary. But many Palestinians and observers view them as oppressive and part of a broader system of control.
Jerusalem is a focal point for religious, national and cultural identity for both Palestinians (Muslims & Christians) and Israelis (Jews).
Disputes over who controls East Jerusalem and access rights to holy sites (Al-Aqsa Mosque / Temple Mount), often trigger flashpoints.
Incidents at holy sites or during religious events (e.g. during Ramadan) can rapidly escalate tensions.
The 1948 war (the Nakba for Palestinians) resulted in around 700,000 Palestinians being displaced. Many remain refugees or descendants of refugees and their claim to return home or be compensated remains a central, unresolved issue.
Displacement also continues with demolitions, evictions, expansion of settlement land, which is seen by Palestinians as part of the longstanding injustice.
Internal divisions among Palestinians (e.g. between Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank) weaken unified political strategy and complicate negotiations.
On the Israeli side, shifting political coalitions (including right-wing and religious parties), elections, domestic pressures and security concerns heavily influence how the government acts. These can include very hardline policies, settlement approvals and military responses.
The conflict is deeply embedded in international diplomacy, foreign aid, regional alliances and international laws/un resolutions.
Different countries support different sides politically, financially, or militarily. This influences what each side believes is feasible or acceptable.
There is also the influence of external events/triggers: religious holidays, incidents at holy sites, evictions, acts of violence or terrorism. Those act as sparks in an environment already full of tinder.
While the above are long-term causes, there are more immediate catalysts:
1. Escalating tensions around evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem.
2. Frequent clashes in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque during sensitive religious periods.
3. Increased settler violence and military operations in the West Bank, expansion of Israeli controls and policies.
4. The political climate in both Israel and Palestinian territories: failing peace talks, distrust, hardline leadership on both sides and a sense among many Palestinians of desperation (economic hardship, displacement, restrictions).
Here’s a timeline of major incidents (2020–2025) that show how the situation escalated into the current war in Palestine:
Timeline of Key Escalations
2020Trump’s “Deal of the Century” plan (January 2020) proposed recognising Israeli sovereignty over large settlement areas in the West Bank. Palestinians rejected it, seeing it as legitimising occupation.
Normalisation agreements (UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan) with Israel under the Abraham Accords left Palestinians feeling increasingly isolated in the Arab world.
2021Sheikh Jarrah Evictions (East Jerusalem): Israeli courts approved eviction of Palestinian families. Protests erupted.
Al-Aqsa Mosque clashes (May 2021): Israeli police stormed the mosque during Ramadan prayers, sparking global outrage.
11-day Gaza war (May 2021): Hamas fired rockets into Israel; Israel responded with heavy airstrikes, killing over 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
2022Rising settler attacks in the West Bank and increased Israeli military raids, leading to higher Palestinian casualties.
Political instability in Israel: repeated elections and the rise of hardline politicians pushed policies further right.
2023Jenin refugee camp raid (July 2023): Israel launched its largest military operation in the West Bank in two decades, killing at least 12 Palestinians and displacing thousands.
Al-Aqsa tensions during Ramadan (April 2023): Israeli forces stormed the mosque again, beating worshippers, which fuelled protests across the Muslim world.
October 7, 2023 – Hamas attack: Hamas launched a massive surprise attack into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. This marked the start of a full-scale war.
2024Gaza under siege: Israel’s response included continuous airstrikes, ground operations, and severe restrictions on food, water, fuel, and medicine.
Civilian toll: By mid-2024, tens of thousands of Palestinians had been killed, with Gaza’s infrastructure largely destroyed.
International criticism grows: UN agencies, rights groups, and some governments accused Israel of disproportionate force and collective punishment, while others defended Israel’s right to self-defence.
2025War spreads to the West Bank: Daily raids, rising settler violence, and mass arrests of Palestinians intensified.
Lebanon front heats up: Hezbollah’s involvement risked dragging the conflict into a broader regional war.
September 2025: Reports emerged of the highest-ever expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, fuelling more protests.
October 2025 (present): Gaza remains devastated, with humanitarian agencies warning of famine and disease. Palestinians still see Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem as symbols of their survival, just as in Saladin’s era.
Main Pattern:Flashpoints at Al-Aqsa Mosque and in East Jerusalem (Sheikh Jarrah, Ramadan clashes) often acted as sparks.
The October 2023 Hamas attack became the tipping point for the current all-out war.
The deeper causes remain unresolved: occupation, settlements, blockade, displacement, and the status of Jerusalem.
In the rubble of war-torn Palestine, Ayubi's story still beats like a drum. His victory on 2 October 1187 is remembered not as a tale of blood and steel, but as a beacon of resilience.
It whispers to a new generation that oppression, however long it lasts, be it 90 years of Crusader rule or decades of occupation, cannot bury the spirit of a people forever.
Every stone of Al-Aqsa carries that memory. Pilgrims who kneel within its walls feel the pulse of history: Ayyubi's footsteps, the muezzin’s voice after liberation, the tears of a city restored.
And as rockets fall over Gaza and walls rise around the West Bank, many Palestinians look to 1187 as proof that their story is not yet finished.
In the end, history is not just ink on parchment. It is a flame passed from one hand to another. On 2 October 1187, Ayyubi rekindled that flame in Jerusalem.
And today, amid shattered homes and broken dreams, Palestinians hold on to its light, waiting for the day when Al-Aqsa will once again be a place only of prayer, peace, and hope.
