Hundreds of Israeli settlers enter Al-Aqsa, Buraq plaza

Israeli visitors and settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem during heightened security around Yom Kippur, with reports saying some performed Jewish prayers and Talmudic rituals under Israeli police protection. Palestinian officials said Israeli forces restricted Muslim worshippers’ access, confiscated identification documents and imposed age limits, while warning that increased incursions could alter the mosque’s longstanding status quo. The activity followed calls from Temple Mount-affiliated groups for more frequent visits and religious observances at the site during the Jewish holiday season. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has supported allowing Jewish visitors to enter on Saturdays, while Palestinian, Arab and Muslim officials have warned that such steps threaten existing arrangements governing the compound. Separate data from the Israeli group Beyadenu indicated that nearly 69,000 settlers entered the compound during the Hebrew year ending in September 2026, a record since Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.