Israeli minister Ben-Gvir leads settler incursion into al-Aqsa Mosque
Israeli minister Ben-Gvir leads settler incursion into al-Aqsa Mosque
M.U.H
04/08/202561
Israel’s so-called security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has led a large group of settlers in a provocative march and mass incursion into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds.
According to the Islamic Waqf Department in al-Quds, at least 1,251 Israeli settlers stormed the sacred site on Sunday morning.
They performed Talmudic rituals, singing, and dancing under heavy police protection, coinciding with the Jewish commemoration of Tisha B’Av.
Among the participants was Likud lawmaker Amit Halevi, who accompanied Ben-Gvir in the settler incursion into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
In a statement from within the compound, Ben-Gvir asserted that “the Temple Mount is for the Jews, and we will remain here forever,” sparking widespread condemnation.
The incursion came hours after Ben-Gvir led another illegal settler march through the Old City of al-Quds after midnight.
The events were organized by extremist “Temple Mount” groups, which had called for mass entry into the al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday to mark Tisha B’Av, which commemorates the so-called anniversary of the destruction of the Temple.
‘Settler violence and incursions into al-Aqsa a dangerous escalation’
In reaction, the spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned that ongoing settler violence in the occupied West Bank and provocative incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque represent a serious escalation.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh described the behavior as in line with the ongoing Israeli genocide and starvation campaign being waged against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
“This dangerous and condemned escalation reflects organized terror under the protection and support of the Israeli occupation authorities,” he stated. “It is aimed at sabotaging all Arab and international efforts to achieve a ceasefire and restore calm and stability in the region.”
Abu Rudeineh held the occupying Tel Aviv regime fully responsible for the consequences of “these terrorist acts,” and called on the United States administration to intervene immediately and urgently to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression.
“If the US truly seeks security and stability, it must compel Israel to abide by international law and UN resolutions,” he added.
Abu Rudeineh emphasized that “lasting peace can only be achieved through recognition of the Palestinian people’s rights to freedom, independence, and the establishment of their sovereign state.”
The al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Jewish visitation of al-Aqsa is permitted, but as part of a decades-old agreement between Jordan – the custodian of Islamic and Christian sites in al-Quds – and Israel in the wake of Israel’s occupation of East al-Quds in 1967, non-Muslim worship at the compound is prohibited.
The latest intrusion by Israeli settlers comes as the occupying regime keeps its bloody war machine going in the Gaza Strip, which has left at least 57,418 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, since October 7, 2023.
