Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir Enters Al-Aqsa Mosque Amid Tense Jewish Holiday Period

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday, under heavy police escort, and performed Talmudic rituals in the eastern area, according to the Palestinian Governorate of Jerusalem. The Governorate stated that Ben-Gvir's incursion coincided with widespread entries by settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Jewish "Day of Atonement." It reported that 796 settlers entered the mosque's courtyards on Sunday morning, with an additional 80 entering under the guise of "tourism."

These incursions occurred amidst heightened Israeli security measures in the Old City of Jerusalem and around the mosque, with a significant police presence, coinciding with the Jewish holiday season. On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several ministers, and thousands of settlers arrived at the Western Wall plaza in the Old City, also under heavy security.

The Governorate of Jerusalem described the Old City as having been turned into a "military barracks" by Israeli forces to secure settler access to the Western Wall. In the preceding days, the Governorate had warned of escalating activities by Jewish groups around the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Jewish holidays, particularly before the Day of Atonement, and of attempts to impose new religious rituals within the mosque.

Settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque increase during Jewish holidays, protected by Israeli police. These actions have drawn warnings from Palestinians and Jordanians regarding attempts to establish new realities at the mosque and divide it temporally and spatially. The Jewish holiday season began with Rosh Hashanah on September 12-13, continuing with the Day of Atonement, followed by Sukkot from September 26 to October 2, and concluding with Simchat Torah on October 3.