More than 3,200 Israeli settlers and members of far-right groups stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. The mass incursion, carried out under heavy protection from Israeli police, has become one of the most significant violations of the site’s longstanding status quo this year.
According to Al Jazeera on Thursday, July 23, 2026, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a member of the far-right faction, also entered the Islamic holy site under tight police protection.
The controversial visit took place during Tisha B’Av, the Jewish day of mourning commemorating the destruction of the ancient temples.
The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem reported that 3,228 Israelis entered the compound during the morning session alone.
“Israeli authorities imposed extremely strict restrictions at the mosque’s gates, preventing thousands of Palestinian worshippers and students from entering, while physically assaulting several worshippers,” an official from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department said in an official statement.
The Palestinian Governorate of Jerusalem estimated that the number of settlers entering the compound could exceed 5,000 by the end of the day.
That figure would surpass previous attendance records for the same religious observance.
While inside the Al-Aqsa compound, Israeli settlers were reported to have openly performed various Talmudic rituals, including prostrating, singing, and offering prayers.
Israeli police reportedly allowed more than 1,000 Jewish visitors to pray at the site.
Such actions constitute a clear violation of the status quo that has been in place since 1967, under which non-Muslims are permitted to visit the compound but are prohibited from conducting religious prayers at Islam’s third-holiest site.
To secure the mass incursion, Israeli authorities imposed stringent security measures throughout Jerusalem’s Old City.
Access to the Al-Aqsa compound was closed to Palestinians, with the exception of elderly worshippers.
Security was also tightened at the Qalandiya checkpoint and along the entrances to East Jerusalem to restrict the movement of Muslim worshippers.
“Jewish visitors to this place on Tisha B’Av feel like the owners of this area. This is tremendous progress,” Ben-Gvir said, as quoted by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Widespread Condemnation
Also cited by Al Jazeera, the Jerusalem Governorate condemned Ben-Gvir’s visit as a dangerous escalation that reflects official Israeli government support for radical groups advocating the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple at the site.
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas also issued a stern warning, stating that the open acts of aggression would provoke retaliation against the occupying authorities and the settlers.
Strong condemnation also came from Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which described the visit as a desecration of the mosque’s sanctity.
Jordan called on the international community to exert immediate pressure on Israel to halt all violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The participation of figures from Israel’s ruling Likud Party in the incursion was seen as signaling a significant political shift within the Israeli government.
Calls to alter the legal and historical status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque are now being openly supported by key members of Israel’s cabinet and parliament.
The escalation at the Al-Aqsa compound is expected to continue and could trigger broader confrontations.
With Friday prayers typically drawing thousands of Muslim worshippers, the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs urged the international community to act swiftly before the security situation deteriorates further.***
