Dozens of Settlers Defile Al-Aqsa Cemetery for Third Consecutive Week

Palestinian sources reported that dozens of Israeli settlers desecrated the Bab al-Rahma cemetery, adjacent to the eastern wall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, on the eve of the Jewish New Year. The settlers performed Talmudic rituals and blew the shofar near Muslim graves, reportedly under the protection of Israeli police.

This marks the third consecutive week that such rituals have taken place outside the cemetery, according to the Jerusalem Governorate. These actions coincide with escalating demands from groups advocating for the Temple Mount to impose their religious practices within the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Jewish holidays.

Palestinian officials stated that settlers, prevented from conducting some rituals inside the mosque, are now attempting to impose them in its vicinity, including at its gates and adjacent areas like the Bab al-Rahma cemetery. This is seen as an effort to establish a new reality, expand Judaization efforts from within the mosque to its surroundings, and target its Islamic identity and the status of surrounding holy sites and landmarks.