OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), 121 Jewish settlers stormed the Aqsa Mosque under heavy police protection on Tuesday, performing Talmudic rituals and prayers within its courtyards.
According to a statement by the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem, the incursions occurred in two waves: 59 settlers entered in the morning hours, and 62 others after the noon prayer.
The settlers entered through the al-Magharibeh Gate on the western wall of the Mosque, in successive groups, accompanied by Israeli police.
During their tours, the settlers performed Talmudic rituals, in a continued violation of the sanctity of Mosque.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli authorities issued a six-month ban on Aqsa guard Wahbi Makkiya’s entry into the Mosque, according to a statement by the Palestinian Governorate of Jerusalem.
This comes amid a sharp rise in the frequency of Aqsa incursions. Statistics from the Jerusalem Governorate show that approximately 4,266 settlers stormed the site in November, along with 15,220 foreign tourists.
Since 2003, Israeli police have unilaterally allowed settlers to storm the Aqsa Mosque, despite repeated objections from the Islamic Waqf Department, which has continually called for an end to these violations, with no response from Israeli authorities.
Violations at the Aqsa Mosque have notably escalated since Itamar Ben-Gvir assumed the position of Israel’s Minister of National Security at the end of 2022. Since then, settler incursions have increased, with participation from ministers and Knesset members, prompting ongoing Palestinian warnings about the serious implications for the Mosque’s status quo.
