Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque During Jewish Holidays, Over 40,000 Entries This Year

Dozens of Israeli settlers, protected by Israeli police, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday, coinciding with the Jewish holiday season, particularly the week-long Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). The Islamic Waqf department reported that settler groups entered through the Mughrabi Gate, toured the courtyards, and performed Talmudic rituals. Israeli forces intensified security measures around the mosque and the Old City, restricting Palestinian movement and access.

These incursions are part of a surge during the Jewish holidays, with settler groups calling for increased visits and religious observances within the compound. September saw repeated entries, including 480 settlers on September 13 during Rosh Hashanah and approximately 100 on September 20 during Yom Kippur.

According to the Jerusalem Governorate, 40,661 settlers had entered Al-Aqsa since the beginning of the year until the end of August. Concurrently, around 800 Palestinians have been banned from the mosque since the year's start until early September.

The Jerusalem Governorate warned that the holiday season is being exploited to impose new realities at Al-Aqsa, viewing the repeated police-escorted incursions and the allowance of rituals as attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo. The current Jewish holiday season, spanning from September to early October, includes Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, marked by heightened Israeli security measures in the Old City and around Al-Aqsa, including road closures and Palestinian access restrictions, while facilitating settler entries.