Under tight protection and temporal facilities.. Dozens of settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque

Groups of settlers renewed their violations of the sanctity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem this Thursday morning, carrying out provocative tours in its courtyards under tight military protection from the occupation police. Local sources in Jerusalem governorate reported that the intruders performed public Talmudic rituals in the courtyards, amidst strict security measures aimed at obstructing Palestinian worshippers' access to the mosque and securing the settlers' routes.

Field reports revealed that the occupation authorities granted unprecedented temporal facilities to settler groups, including a noticeable extension of the incursion periods during the morning and evening hours. These steps come within the framework of an overt Israeli endeavor to entrench the policy of temporal and spatial division of Islamic holy sites, and to impose a new reality that allows settlers permanent presence inside the mosque at the expense of the historical rights of Muslims.

In a development described as serious, institutions concerned with Jerusalem affairs observed a sharp decline in the number of Al-Aqsa Mosque guards on duty during the morning period, reaching only about 20 guards. This number represents the historical minimum for the guard force, as it does not exceed 39% of the official human force allocated to protect the mosque, which puts the security of prayer areas and courtyards at risk in the face of escalating attacks.

Statistical data indicate a systematic escalation in the pace of incursions, with more than 1072 settlers recorded in the last week of June alone. Monitoring records for the years between 2014 and 2025 show sharp jumps in the number of intruders, reaching thousands, reflecting a clear occupation strategy aimed at Judaizing the holy city and rapidly changing its Arab and Islamic identity.

For his part, the head of the International Jerusalem Foundation, Hassan Khatir, affirmed that the occupation authorities have crossed all red lines since October 7, 2023, through unprecedented arbitrary measures. Khatir explained that the aggression extended to include a suffocating economic blockade on the mosque and its endowments, in parallel with comprehensive security restrictions aimed at emptying Al-Aqsa of worshippers in favor of settlement projects and Judaization plans supported by the Israeli government.

The occupation, since October 7, has crossed all red lines in its arbitrary measures, extending its aggression to include economic blockade and security restrictions to isolate worshippers.