Hundreds Of Israeli Settlers Storm Al‑Aqsa Mosque Amid Escalating Occupation Tactics.

Jerusalem, November 6, 2025 (WAFA) – Under heavy protection from Israeli forces, 917 Israeli settlers stormed the Al‑Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, performing Talmudic rituals, plant sacrifices, and orchestrated tours of the sacred site, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.

Palestinian authorities say this incursion represents part of a systematic strategy to assert Israeli control over one of Islam’s holiest sites, undermining both the historic Status Quo and international law.

Breaking The Status Quo:

Al‑Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site and known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is governed under the 1967-era Status Quo, which grants the Jordanian-controlled Islamic Waqf full religious and administrative authority while Israel oversees security around the perimeter.

Under this framework, non-Muslims may visit during designated hours but are prohibited from praying, while Muslims retain unrestricted access for worship. Thursday’s mass entry, however, saw settlers freely performing religious rituals in areas traditionally reserved for Muslim worshippers, accompanied by heavily armed Israeli forces, a departure from the historic arrangement.

“These tours are intended to create a new reality that divides the landmark both temporally and spatially,” a spokesperson from the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs said.

Escalating Incursions:

Data from the Palestinian Ministry indicates a sharp rise in settler entries:

• October 2025: 10,822 settlers entered the compound, marking a 130% increase from the previous month.
• November 6, 2025: 917 settlers staged mass rituals.
• 2024–2025: Over 58,000 documented entries, a 14% annual increase.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir has entered the mosque compound 13 times since 2022, including 10 times since the Gaza war escalated in October 2023. Observers say these visits signal state-sanctioned provocation.

Coordinated Political Provocation:

Incursions are often timed with Jewish holidays and accompanied by political figures. Palestinian officials report settlers performing:

• Talmudic rituals and prayers
• Plant sacrifices and musical ceremonies
• Tours through the Muslim areas of the mosque

These actions are viewed as an attempt to normalise settler presence within sacred Muslim spaces.

“The pattern is clear: incursions are no longer casual visits but part of a deliberate political agenda,” said a Waqf official.

A Wider Pattern Across The West Bank:

Al‑Aqsa is not the only site affected. At the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, Israeli forces reportedly blocked the call to prayer 96 times in October, raised Israeli flags, and staged tours with religious artefacts.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks across the West Bank have killed over 1,065 Palestinians and injured nearly 10,000. Palestinian officials say this indicates a coordinated campaign of occupation and intimidation across multiple holy sites.

Legal And International Implications:

Experts say these incursions violate both the Status Quo and international law:

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal in July 2024, calling for the evacuation of settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
• The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits altering the cultural or religious character of occupied territories.

“These settler rituals, supported or tolerated by the Israeli state, are not just provocative; they may constitute violations of occupation law,” said an international legal analyst.

Human And Religious Impact:

Muslim worshippers face restricted access, delayed prayers, and intimidation from armed police accompanying settlers. Eyewitnesses report a militarised environment that undermines the mosque’s sanctity.

“It feels like the mosque is no longer ours,” a Palestinian worshipper said. “Every time settlers enter, it is a reminder of our lack of control.”

Strategic Implications:

Palestinian officials and analysts say these incursions reflect a broader settler-nationalist agenda:

1. Temporal and Spatial Reconfiguration – Introducing Jewish rituals during Muslim prayer times and occupying courtyards.
2. State-Endorsed Symbolism – Ministerial visits and heavy security imply official endorsement.
3. Creeping Annexation of East Jerusalem – Altering the reality of the holy site contributes to a broader strategy of Judaization.

Conclusion: Al‑Aqsa As A Battleground For Jerusalem’s Identity And Human Rights.

Thursday’s mass incursion is far more than a provocative religious act; it is a calculated, state-enabled strategy to assert Israeli control over East Jerusalem’s sacred spaces, erase the Islamic character of the city, and undermine the rights of Palestinians to freely practice their religion. The scale and frequency of settler entries, coupled with political endorsements from far-right figures like Itamar Ben‑Gvir, indicate a coordinated campaign to normalise settler presence, transform the spatial and temporal dynamics of Al‑Aqsa, and advance a Jewish nationalist narrative over a historically Muslim-administered site.

These incursions violate multiple human rights obligations:

• Freedom of religion and worship: Muslim access to Al‑Aqsa is restricted or delayed, and prayer is disrupted under armed police escort, contravening Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
• Right to cultural and religious heritage: The use of sacred Muslim spaces for settler rituals and symbolic occupation undermines the protection of cultural heritage under international law.
• Right to security and protection from intimidation: Militarised settler incursions and police-protected intrusions create an environment of coercion and psychological intimidation for Palestinian worshippers.

These acts are also part of a broader pattern of erasure and occupation: restricting calls to prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque, raising Israeli flags in Muslim worship areas, and militarised tours across holy sites reflect a strategic effort to reshape the city’s demographic and religious character, slowly eroding Jerusalem’s Islamic identity.

Legally, these incursions breach the Status Quo, international human rights law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention, and directly contravene the ICJ’s 2024 advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation and settlements illegal. Yet Israel’s security and political apparatus continues to enable these violations, turning Al‑Aqsa into a tool of occupation, identity erasure, and political assertion.

The human and cultural stakes are profound. Palestinian worshippers are not only denied access to their sacred spaces but also subjected to psychological and social pressure that undermines the religious and cultural integrity of their community. Al‑Aqsa has become a flashpoint of systemic oppression, symbolic of the broader campaign to Judaize East Jerusalem and violate Palestinians’ human rights under occupation.

In Jerusalem, these incursions are about far more than land; they are about controlling history, religion, and identity, and systematically denying Palestinians their fundamental rights. Without robust international oversight and enforcement of human rights and legal protections, the Islamic character of Jerusalem faces a deliberate and ongoing assault.