Al-Quds, MINA – A total of 109 Israeli settlers entered the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque under police escort on Wednesday morning, while Israeli authorities imposed restrictions on Muslim worshipers seeking to access the holy site.
According to the Palestinian Information Center, the settlers entered the compound in several groups through the Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards.
During the visits, rabbis delivered lectures about what they referred to as the Temple Mount, while some settlers performed Talmudic prayers at the Islamic holy site, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation police tightened restrictions on Muslim worshipers at the mosque’s entrances and gates, preventing many from entering the compound.
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Al-Aqsa Mosque, also known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, is one of Islam’s holiest sites. The compound is also known to Jews as the Temple Mount and holds religious significance in Judaism.
Under the longstanding status quo arrangement, Muslims are permitted to pray at the compound, while non-Muslims may visit under established conditions but are not permitted to pray there. In recent years, however, visits by Israeli settlers and far-right activists have increasingly included religious rituals, prompting Palestinian concerns that the arrangement and the site’s Islamic character are being challenged.
According to Palestinian statistics cited in the report, more than 284,000 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound between October 7, 2023, and October 2026.
Such incursions have continued under Israeli police protection, including during Jewish holidays and on other occasions throughout the year.
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The visits, alongside restrictions on Muslim access to the compound and reported settler attacks elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, have heightened concerns among Palestinian officials and religious authorities over the protection of Islamic holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.
Palestinian leaders and religious figures have called for the preservation of the existing status quo and urged Palestinians to maintain their presence at Al-Aqsa Mosque amid continued incursions.
The latest incident highlights persistent tensions surrounding access to the compound and the religious practices permitted there. Palestinian authorities and religious leaders have repeatedly called for international action to protect the site’s religious character and ensure Muslim worshipers can access it.
Concerns remain that continued incursions and restrictions could further escalate tensions in occupied Jerusalem and the wider region.[]
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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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