In a move reigniting tensions in occupied East Jerusalem, more than 500 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday under heavy protection from Israeli security forces to mark the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, reported by Anadolu.
According to the Islamic Endowment Department in Jerusalem, groups of settlers accessed the sacred site via the Al-Mugharbah Gate, located on the western side of the compound. Witnesses described the entry as provocative, as many settlers reportedly engaged in Talmudic rituals near the mosque’s gates—an act viewed by Palestinians as a challenge to the site’s religious and political sensitivity.
The incursion comes amid long-standing Palestinian concerns over Israel’s increasing settlement activity and the erosion of the status quo at one of Islam’s holiest sites. Al-Aqsa Mosque, revered as the third-holiest site in Islam, sits atop what Jews refer to as the Temple Mount—the historic location believed to have housed two ancient Jewish temples.
Since 2003, Israeli authorities have permitted settler visits to the compound nearly every day except Fridays and Saturdays, despite widespread opposition from Palestinian leaders who view the practice as a violation of the fragile arrangements governing religious access and control.
The Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported that the presence of settlers performing religious rituals on-site—especially during significant Jewish holidays—continues to inflame local tensions and provoke unrest.
East Jerusalem, including the Old City where Al-Aqsa is located, has remained under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Israel’s annexation of the territory in 1980 has never been recognized by the international community, which largely considers East Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian land.
As the region marks yet another flashpoint, fears of escalation remain high, with religious sensitivities and political grievances continuing to intersect in one of the most contested spaces on Earth.
