Hundreds of Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in Latest Status Quo Violation
The Waqf said 328 settlers entered the site during the morning hours of the final day of the Jewish New Year holiday, performing rituals inside the compound. On the two preceding days of the holiday, 843 settlers had also entered, conducting prayers and religious dances on the eastern side of the compound.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, regarded as the third-holiest site in Islam, is also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, which they believe was once home to two ancient temples.
Israeli occupation authorities have allowed settler groups to enter the compound under military protection. Palestinians view these incursions, particularly during religious holidays, as part of an effort to entrench Israeli control and diminish the site’s Islamic and Arab identity.
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In recent years, Israeli authorities have been allowing Jewish worship at the site in violation of previous agreements with the Waqf and the status quo. A report by Israel Hayom, a right-leaning Israeli daily, described what it called “historic transformations” at Al-Aqsa, including the normalization of practices previously deemed too sensitive or provocative. These include open prayers, group rituals, prostrations, public singing, and even the performance of Israel’s national anthem within the compound.
Police data cited in the report show a sharp increase in Jewish visits to Al-Aqsa, from fewer than 6,000 in 2010 to around 60,000 this year. Ceremonies such as weddings and bar mitzvahs are now regularly held at the site, while settlers have also been seen bringing in ritual data-x-items like prayer books, Torah scrolls, and shofars despite formal bans.
Commenting on the shift, Israeli activist and writer Arnon Segal told the paper: “What was once forbidden is now public, clear, and natural. Many perform the ancient prostration ritual. On the new month, the Hallel prayer is recited loudly with singing and dancing.”
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The latest incursion comes amid wider tensions in the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Health Ministry reports that since October 2023, at least 1,044 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in attacks conducted by Israeli forces and settlers.
In July, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and urging the dismantling of settlements in both the West Bank and al-Quds.
Source: Agencies
