Over 4,200 Israelis Enter Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound Amid Rising Tensions

Over 4,200 Israelis Enter Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound Amid Rising Tensions
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More than 4,200 Israeli settlers and members of far-right groups entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, Palestinian officials said, marking one of the largest incursions of the year during the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also entered the site under heavy police protection. The visit took place on the Jewish day of mourning commemorating the destruction of ancient temples believed by Jews to have stood at the location, which Muslims know as Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jews refer to as the Temple Mount.

The Jerusalem governorate reported that 4,288 Israelis had entered the compound, with the number expected to increase further before the end of the day. Palestinian officials accused Israeli forces of restricting access for Palestinian worshippers and students, while allowing settlers to perform religious rituals inside the site.

The incident drew condemnation from Palestinian authorities, Hamas, and Jordan, which described Ben-Gvir’s visit as a provocation and a violation of the historical and legal status quo governing the holy site.

Palestinian officials warned that the visits represented an attempt to alter the religious and administrative arrangements of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Jordan called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop what it described as violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Al-Aqsa compound, located in East Jerusalem, has remained a major flashpoint amid ongoing tensions over access, religious rights, and control of the site.