Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Compound Amid Rising Tensions

Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem early Sunday under heavy police protection. This incursion occurred amid growing warnings regarding attempts to impose Jewish religious rituals in and around the historic holy site.

Jerusalem sources reported that around 700 settlers forced their way into the complex through Bab al-Maghariba in successive groups. They performed Jewish religious rituals inside the compound after gathering in large numbers near the gate earlier that morning.

The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate stated that groups associated with the Temple movement had called for gatherings near Bab al-Rahma. These calls urged Israelis to perform Selichot prayers outside the eastern wall ahead of the upcoming Yom Kippur holiday.

Officials warned that repeated rituals around Bab al-Rahma are part of organized attempts to establish a permanent Jewish prayer presence. Such actions aim to impose a new religious reality around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surrounding areas.

Similar rituals have been held repeatedly in recent weeks at the adjacent Bab al-Rahma cemetery. These events included prayers and the blowing of the shofar near Muslim graves, raising concerns among Palestinian authorities about escalating tensions.

Palestinian officials warned that growing activity by Temple groups threatens the historical and legal status quo. Incursions have intensified in recent months during Jewish holidays, prompting fears of temporal and spatial division at the mosque.