Ben-Gvir leads hundreds of settlers in Al-Aqsa compound raid under police guard

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led a large group of illegal Israeli settlers into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, a move that immediately heightened tensions across the region. Witnesses reported that the far-right minister oversaw provocative tours inside the flashpoint compound, during which settlers performed Talmudic rituals. These actions coincided with the second day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and took place under the heavy guard of Israeli police forces stationed around the site's gates.

Hundreds of Settlers Storm Holy Site

The Islamic Waqf Department, which oversees the compound, confirmed that approximately 1,300 illegal settlers stormed the area on Wednesday morning. This follows a significant incursion a day earlier when more than 500 settlers entered the site. Such raids are known to escalate during Jewish holidays, often with the approval of the prime minister's office following official requests. For Palestinians, these repeated incursions represent a direct assault on the Arab and Islamic identity of East Jerusalem, which they see as an occupied territory.

Incursions Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict

The frequency of these settler raids on Al-Aqsa has surged since October 2023, paralleling the genocidal Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the Israeli army has intensified its military offensives across the occupied West Bank. Palestinian officials assert that these actions, including the storming of Muslim holy sites, are part of a broader strategy to Judaize the city and erase its non-Israeli character.

International Law and the Status of Al-Aqsa

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, revered in Islam as the third holiest site and known to Jews as the Temple Mount, remains a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Under international law, East Jerusalem is considered occupied territory, and the transfer of Israeli citizens into it, including settler groups, is illegal. The repeated provocations by figures like Ben-Gvir threaten to ignite further violence and undermine the fragile historical status quo that governs worship at the site.