Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque During Jewish Holiday Amid Tensions

Hundreds of Jewish settlers, escorted by Israeli police, entered the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday, the fifth day of the Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) holiday. The incursions, which began on September 26 and conclude on October 2, have seen a significant increase in settler activity at the holy site.

Moshe Feiglin, a candidate with the far-right Religious Zionism alliance, was among the settlers who entered the mosque complex through the Mughrabi Gate, carrying what are described as "vegetable offerings" and performing Talmudic rituals. The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem reported the incident, noting it occurred during the ongoing Jewish festival.

This latest incursion follows a pattern of heightened settler entries throughout the holiday. On Tuesday, 1,462 settlers reportedly entered the mosque, with previous days seeing even higher numbers, including 1,500 on the second day and 1,731 on the third. The Jerusalem Governorate stated that 1,271 settlers entered on one day of the holiday and performed specific prayers and rituals.

During these incursions, settlers have been observed performing Talmudic prayers and rituals within the mosque's courtyards, including prostration ceremonies. Concurrently, Israeli forces imposed restrictions on Palestinian movement in the Old City, closing roads leading to Al-Aqsa to facilitate settler access. Shopkeepers in the Qattanin Market, a pathway to the mosque, were reportedly forced to close their businesses.

The Islamic Waqf has repeatedly called for an end to settler incursions into Al-Aqsa, but these appeals have gone unanswered by Israeli authorities. Since the beginning of the year until the end of August, over 40,000 settlers have entered Al-Aqsa, while approximately 800 restraining orders have been issued against Jerusalemites banning them from the site.