Israeli Settlers Storm Al‑Aqsa Mosque Amid Temple‑Destruction Anniversary

On Thursday, more than 2,300 Israeli settlers entered the Al‑Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, coinciding with the Jewish commemoration of the Temple's destruction. The incursion was led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir and Knesset member Amit Halevi, who performed Talmudic rituals, raised the Israeli flag and took part in a so‑called “epic sujood” near the Dome of the Rock.

Israeli police permitted groups of up to about 150 participants at a time and imposed strict controls that prevented the majority of Palestinian worshippers from entering the mosque; only a handful were able to pray at dawn before Israeli forces beat several worshippers. The Palestinian Authority and the Islamic Waqf ministries condemned the raid as a provocation and a breach of the historic status‑quo governing the site, warning that it aims to alter the legal and spatial reality of Al‑Aqsa. The waqf warned of plans to bring up to 5,000 settlers, including possible night‑time incursions, and called on the international and Arab‑Islamic community to intervene.