Armed settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque under pretext of Jewish holiday

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Oct 2024 14:27
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Dozens of armed Israeli settlers stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, engaging in provocative rituals, and parading through the streets of Old al-Quds, further escalating tensions in Palestine.

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Israeli forces protect illegal Israeli settlers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of al-Quds during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on April 9, 2023. (AP)

The biblical holiday season marks an unprecedented escalation in aggression against the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque, with threats to its Islamic identity reaching dangerous new levels.

Israeli efforts to construct the so-called Temple Mount in place of Al-Aqsa Mosque have intensified, with government funding bolstering these incursions. The increasing number of intruders further exacerbates the situation, reflecting a deliberate attempt to undermine the Islamic heritage of this sacred site.

In detail, dozens of Israelis stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday, coinciding with the Jewish New Year. Armed settlers, dressed in Torah clothing, roamed the streets of the Old City in occupied Al-Quds, intensifying tensions in the area.

Local al-Quds sources reported that the settlers performed provocative rituals in the eastern courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy protection from occupation police. The sources pointed out that by 10:00 am, about 350 Jewish settlers had stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque through the al-Mughrabi Gate, which has been under the control of occupation authorities since the occupation of al-Quds in 1967, under the protection of occupation forces.

Settlers storm the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and perform Talmudic rituals under the protection of the occupation forces. pic.twitter.com/Md39L8JnCi
— Hafez Ba. 🇵🇸 (@GazaNews222) October 2, 2024

The settlers gathered in groups, dancing and singing, and even "blew the trumpet" within the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in a provocative display aimed at the Palestinians, further escalating tensions in the holy site. The occupation police have intensified military measures at the gates of the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque, imposing strict restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers, further limiting access to the sacred site.

Al-Aqsa Mosque faces daily violations and incursions by settlers, who are protected by the occupation police. These actions are part of an ongoing attempt to impose full control over the mosque and to divide it.

Al-Aqsa Imam warns of Israeli plots for mosque's western wall

Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the Higher Islamic Council in occupied al-Quds and Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque denounced the installment of an elevator at the western wall of the al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli occupation, considering it "part of a major plan to Judaize the area around the mosque."

Sheikh Ekrima Sabri slammed the Israeli plot, relaying that the occupation claims it helps facilitate the access of elderly Zionists and people with special needs into the holy site, as well as prepare the area for the aerial tramways that have been under construction for some time.

He further affirmed that "this is an attack on Islamic mortmain property because the land being built upon belongs to the Islamic Endowments [Awqaf] Authority."

Sheikh Sabri referred to the elevator project as an Israeli assault on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, emphasizing that the western wall is an integral part of the Islamic sacred site. He cautioned that the project is intended to alter the landscape in occupied al-Quds and around the mosque, aiming to assert the Israeli regime's dominance over the holy city.