Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa in latest targeting of East Jerusalem sites
Israeli settlers and senior politicians, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and conducted Jewish prayers and rituals ahead of Yom Kippur. Netanyahu also visited excavation tunnels beneath the Western Wall in occupied East Jerusalem, actions that drew condemnation from Palestinian groups and stirred political debate ahead of Israel's October election.
Why It Matters
The incursions touch on highly sensitive religious and territorial sites in occupied East Jerusalem and have prompted strong responses from Palestinian authorities and groups such as Hamas. The timing — around Yom Kippur and in the run-up to national elections — links the visits to broader disputes over sovereignty, archaeology and Israel's policy toward occupied Palestinian areas.
Key Facts
- Date/context: Visits and incursions occurred over the weekend ahead of Yom Kippur and months before Israel's October general election.
- Participants: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several government ministers and thousands of Israeli settlers.
- Al-Aqsa storming: About 570 settlers had entered the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by 10am local time on Sunday, according to the Palestinian Jerusalem governorate.
- Netanyahu's actions: Netanyahu released videos of performing Selichot prayers at the Western Wall and walking through excavation tunnels beneath the al-Buraq/Western Wall.
- Responses: Hamas issued a strong condemnation, calling the moves a provocation and rejecting excavations under the site; archaeologists and the UN have previously criticized the tunneling.
Israeli politicians and settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem over the weekend, with groups performing Jewish prayers and rituals on the site ahead of Yom Kippur. The Palestinian Jerusalem governorate said roughly 570 settlers were in the compound by 10:00 a.m. local time on Sunday and reported Talmudic rituals and prostrations being performed in the courtyards.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was among those who visited Al-Aqsa on Thursday, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted videos and photos showing him taking part in Selichot prayers at the Western Wall and walking through subterranean tunnels beneath the wall and the Old City. Netanyahu appeared in footage praying behind bulletproof glass and said in the posted video that he felt close to what he called the "Holy of Holies."
The tunnels run under the Old City and the Al-Aqsa compound, and the excavations have long been controversial. Archaeologists and United Nations bodies have criticized the digging, which some supporters say seeks evidence of the Second Temple's ramparts while critics view it as an attempt to strengthen Israeli control over occupied Palestinian land.
Palestinian groups, including Hamas, condemned the incursions. In a statement on its official Telegram channel, Hamas described Netanyahu's visit to the tunnels and the accompanying rhetoric as an attack on Al-Aqsa's identity and status and said the excavations were unacceptable. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera linked the timing of Netanyahu's visit to domestic politics, noting it came as he trails in polls ahead of the October election and that the appearances carry symbolic weight amid contested plans such as the E1 settlement project that critics say would further isolate East Jerusalem from the West Bank.
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