Hundreds of Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound During Sukkot

Hundreds of Israeli settlers, including former Knesset member Moshe Feiglin, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, the fifth day of the Jewish Sukkot holiday. The settlers, who entered through the Mughrabi Gate, were under heavy protection from Israeli police and conducted Talmudic prayers and rituals in the eastern section of the compound. The Islamic Waqf department in Jerusalem reported that 1,317 settlers participated in the incursions, with Feiglin, a candidate for the Religious Zionism alliance, leading one group and carrying what were described as "vegetable offerings."

The incursions, which included dancing and group singing by the settlers, occurred amidst a broader escalation during Sukkot. On Tuesday, 1,462 settlers entered the compound, and previous days saw even higher numbers, with one report stating 1,731 settlers entered on the third day of the holiday. These activities involved settlers performing "epic prostration" and other rituals, including bringing "vegetable offerings."

In parallel with the settler entries, Israeli forces imposed restrictions on Palestinian movement in the Old City, closing roads leading to the Old City and the Al-Aqsa Mosque to facilitate the settlers' activities. Shop owners in the Qattanin Market, leading to the mosque, were reportedly forced to close their stores on the second day of the holiday, while settlers performed rituals in the market area.

The Islamic Waqf has repeatedly called for an end to settler incursions into Al-Aqsa, but these calls have gone unanswered by Israeli authorities. Since the beginning of the year until the end of August, approximately 40,661 settlers have entered the compound, and around 800 administrative ban orders have been issued against Jerusalemites from accessing the mosque as of early September.

These recent incursions are part of a series of Jewish holidays that began with Rosh Hashanah in mid-September, followed by Yom Kippur, and now Sukkot, which concludes on October 2nd, with Simchat Torah on October 3rd.