Over 500 Israeli Settlers Enter Al-Aqsa Compound During Sukkot Under Armed Escort

OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM — More than 500 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under the heavy protection of Israeli armed forces on the fifth day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

According to officials from the Islamic Waqf Department—the Jordanian-appointed body that administers the site—large groups of settlers entered the courtyard through the Mughrabi Gate (Al-Mughrabi). Heavily armed Israeli police and military personnel accompanied the groups as they toured the premises, restricting access for Muslim worshippers attempting to enter for daily prayers.

The weeklong holiday of Sukkot routinely brings a surge in visits by Jewish groups to the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif. Witnesses reported that several groups performed religious rituals and Talmudic prayers near the Bab Al-Rahma area and opposite the Dome of the Rock, in direct contravention of long-standing arrangements governing the holy site.

Local sources noted that Israeli security forces set up checkpoints around the Old City and reinforced barriers near the compound's gates, checking the identification of young Palestinians and turning away many who sought to enter the mosque.

Under the decades-old "status quo" agreement governing Jerusalem's holy sites, non-Muslims are permitted to visit the Al-Aqsa compound during designated hours but are strictly prohibited from performing non-Islamic prayers or religious ceremonies.

However, rights groups and Palestinian officials point out that right-wing Israeli politicians and activist groups have increasingly pushed to alter this status quo, frequently conducting prayers under military escort.

The Islamic Waqf Department reiterated its stance, calling the escalated visits a deliberate provocation and a violation of international agreements regarding the protection of holy sites in occupied territories.

International leaders and regional organizations quickly expressed concern following the incident, warning that continued incursions risk further sparking volatile unrest throughout East Jerusalem and the wider region. Palestinian authorities called on the international community to urgently intervene, emphasizing that unilateral attempts to alter the historic status quo at the holy site violate international law and exacerbate an already delicate political climate.