Over 11,000 Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa During Jewish Holidays

A total of 11,409 settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex during the recent Jewish holiday season, which began with Rosh Hashanah and concluded on Thursday. This period saw a significant increase in the frequency of incursions and accompanying religious rituals and Israeli measures within and around the mosque. The incursions included 593 settlers during Rosh Hashanah on September 13, 1,678 during Yom Kippur on September 20-21, and a surge of 9,138 during the first five days of Sukkot, from September 27 to October 1.

These entries were accompanied by increasingly public religious practices, including prayers, prostrations, singing, and the blowing of the shofar. Participants included Israeli officials such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Zehut Party leader Moshe Feiglin, and Rabbi Yehuda Glick. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also participated in rituals at the Western Wall. The practices, initially concentrated in the eastern section, have expanded along the pathways and into other areas, with some groups treating these areas as unofficial synagogues.

Settlers brought religious items into the mosque, including the four species used in Sukkot rituals and tefillin, which were used during Rosh Hashanah. Simultaneously, Israeli authorities imposed restrictions on Muslim worshippers, limiting their access and presence in the mosque courtyards during settler incursions, and expelling dozens of worshippers. Security forces were heavily deployed around the mosque and the Old City, with roadblocks and checkpoints established to facilitate settler access and restrict Palestinian movement.

The Jerusalem Governorate reported approximately 900 administrative orders barring Palestinians from Al-Aqsa since the beginning of 2026, with an increase preceding and during the holidays. Israeli authorities also prevented journalists and activists from documenting the events, limiting the ability of Palestinian media to report from inside the mosque. The Jerusalem Governorate stated that these actions constitute a dangerous escalation that threatens Al-Aqsa's Islamic identity and legal status, violating international law, and called on the international community to intervene and protect the mosque.