‘Dangerous Provocation’: Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Amid Jewish Holiday

IQNA – Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, coinciding with the second day of the Jewish Passover holiday.

The move has drawn sharp condemnation from Palestinian officials and religious authorities, who describe it as a deliberate provocation.

According to a statement from the Islamic Endowments Department in occupied al-Quds, 765 settlers entered the holy mosque in organized groups under heavy protection from Israeli military forces.

The department noted that a day earlier, on the first day of Passover, approximately 500 settlers had similarly stormed the compound. The religious holiday, which commemorates the biblical Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, is one of the most significant observances on the Jewish calendar.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, located in the Old City of al-Quds, is the third-holiest site in Islam. It is also revered by Jews as the location of the biblical temples and referred to as the “Temple Mount.” The site has long been a flashpoint of religious and political tensions.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, settlers stormed the mosque 21 times during the month of Ramadan alone. The al-Quds Governorate reported that 13,064 settlers entered the mosque compound in the first quarter of 2025.

The occupation regime has permitted settler visits to the site regularly since 2003. These visits are widely viewed by Palestinians as attempts to alter the longstanding status quo, which restricts non-Muslim worship at the compound.

On Monday, the al-Quds Governorate issued a strong condemnation following the presence of Israeli Knesset members and rabbis who joined the settlers. In its statement, the Governorate called the visit a “dangerous provocation” and a “clear violation of international law and United Nations resolutions” that safeguard the status of al-Quds and its Islamic holy sites.

It warned that these actions are part of a broader strategy to divide the mosque spatially and temporally, altering its religious and historical character, according to Roya News.

Source: Agencies