Al-Aqsa Mosque sees record settler incursions during Yom Kippur

A record number of 1,678 settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. According to the Jerusalem Governorate, 992 settlers entered on Sunday, the eve of the holiday, and 686 entered on Monday.

The incursions were accompanied by public religious rituals, including collective prayers, dancing, clapping, and prostration. Settlers were observed wearing religious items such as 'tallit' prayer shawls and 'tefillin' scrolls, and carrying 'Siddur' prayer books. The Jerusalem Governorate noted that Israeli police facilitated the distribution of ritual papers at the mosque gates.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participated in the incursions on Sunday, leading a group of settlers in rituals. This marks Ben-Gvir's 20th visit to the mosque since assuming office in early 2023. The Governorate warned that these actions represent an escalation aimed at changing the status quo and the historical and legal authority of the Jordanian-administered Islamic Waqf.