AhlulBayt News Agency: On Tuesday, 121 Jewish settlers stormed the Aqsa Mosque under heavy Israeli police protection, performing Talmudic rituals and prayers in its courtyards.
According to a statement from the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem, the incursions took place in two waves: 59 settlers entered during the morning hours, while 62 others entered after the noon prayer.
The settlers accessed the mosque through the al-Magharibeh Gate on the western wall, moving in successive groups accompanied directly by Israeli police.
During their tours, the settlers carried out Talmudic rituals, continuing to violate the sanctity of the holy site.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli authorities imposed a six-month ban on Aqsa guard Wahbi Makkiya, preventing him from entering the mosque, according to the Palestinian Governorate of Jerusalem.
This comes amid a sharp increase in the frequency of incursions. Statistics from the Jerusalem Governorate indicate that about 4,266 settlers stormed the mosque in November, along with 15,220 foreign tourists.
Since 2003, Israeli police have permitted settlers to storm Aqsa unilaterally, despite repeated objections from the Islamic Waqf Department, which has consistently demanded an end to these violations without receiving any response.
Violations at Aqsa have escalated significantly since Itamar Ben-Gvir became Israel’s Minister of National Security at the end of 2022. Since then, settler incursions have grown, with participation from ministers and Knesset members, prompting ongoing Palestinian warnings about the serious consequences for the mosque’s status quo.
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