More than 2,300 Israelis storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
Over 2,300 Israeli settlers and far-right activists stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, marking the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av.
Palestinian officials reported on Thursday that more than 2,300 Israeli settlers and members of far-right groups stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, one of the largest such incursions this year during the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av.
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the site under heavy police protection. According to the Palestinian administration of the Jerusalem governorate, the number of Israelis entering could rise to 5,000 by sundown, potentially exceeding previous years' figures for the same holiday.
Israeli authorities imposed strict restrictions at the mosque gates, barring many Palestinian worshippers and students from entering and assaulting several worshippers. Al Jazeera's correspondent Nour Odeh reported from Ramallah that Israeli forces took "extreme measures" in Jerusalem's Old City, including banning entry to the Al-Aqsa compound except for the elderly and tightening checkpoints.
Israeli media said police allowed over 1,000 Israelis to pray at the site, despite a 1967 agreement prohibiting non-Muslim prayers there. Settlers performed Talmudic rituals, including prostrating, singing, and praying.
Ben-Gvir was quoted by Haaretz as saying Jews visiting the site on Tisha B'Av "feel like the owners," praising what he called "tremendous progress." The Jerusalem governorate described his entry as a dangerous escalation, reflecting official Israeli backing for actions previously associated with groups advocating for rebuilding a Jewish temple.
Odeh noted that the participation of ruling Likud party figures marks a "fundamental political shift," as Palestinian and Muslim officials argue that calls for a temple are now endorsed by key Israeli government and parliament figures. She warned that incursions could continue into Friday, potentially sparking further confrontations during Friday prayers.
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs condemned the incursions as a "dangerous escalation" aimed at altering the historical and legal status quo and urged international intervention. Israel occupied East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and annexed it in 1980, a move not recognized internationally.
