Israeli settlers storm cemetery near al-Aqsa amid Judaization push
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Dozens of Israeli settlers raid Bab al-Rahma cemetery in occupied al-Quds, performing Talmudic rituals as the Israeli regime advances plans to seize and Judaize the site.
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The Israeli settlement of Carmel is visible on Monday, August 4, 2025, from the Palestinian hamlet of Umm al-Khair, West Bank (AP)
Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the Bab al-Rahma Islamic cemetery, adjacent to the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds, on Saturday morning. The settlers performed Talmudic rituals in the middle of the cemetery and carried out provocative dances atop graves.
The cemetery is currently facing ongoing Israeli excavation works aimed at establishing a base for a settlement-linked cable car project surrounding the Old City.
Israeli occupation authorities plan to seize parts of the 23-dunum cemetery and convert sections into a "Torah garden" as part of their broader Judaization scheme for the city.
Arrests, raids in al-Khalil, Nablus
In related developments, Israeli occupation forces detained two Palestinians during incursions into the towns of Yatta and al-Dhahiriya, south of al-Khalil.
They also stormed the town of Dura and the al-Arroub refugee camp, set up military checkpoints at the entrances to several towns, searched vehicles, and detained a number of youths before releasing them at the entrances to Idhna and al-Shuyukh, west of al-Khalil.
In the early hours of Saturday, occupation forces also carried out incursions into the al-Ein and Balata refugee camps in the city of Nablus, raiding and searching several homes amid heightened tension and unrest.
Some 2,000 settlers storm al-Aqsa
Condemnations poured in against "Israel" after over 2,000 settlers stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque and performed Talmudic rituals inside the sacred Islamic site, in a provocative move led by far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
In a statement published on X, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry declared that Ben-Gvir's actions constitute "a blatant violation of the historic and legal status quo" of the holy site, calling on "Israel" to prevent such provocations by the far-right minister and reiterating that Muslim worship remains the sole permitted religious practice at the compound, which houses both the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia released its own condemnation of the provocative actions perpetrated by "Israel", stating that "the Saudi Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the repeated provocative actions by officials of the Israeli occupation government against the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque, warning that such practices escalate tensions across the region."
Saudi Arabia reiterated its call for the international community to intervene and halt the Israeli occupation authorities' unlawful actions, which violate international norms and undermine regional peace efforts.
Palestinian Authority condemns al-Aqsa raids, Israeli settler violence
On his part, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for President Mahmoud Abbas, stated that the persistent settler attacks across the occupied West Bank, along with the inflammatory raids on the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, constitute a dangerous escalation that extends "Israel's" genocidal policies and deliberate starvation tactics currently targeting Palestinians in Gaza.
Abu Rudeineh's statement followed the fatal shooting of a Palestinian youth and wounding of seven others by armed settlers in Aqraba village near Nablus on Saturday night, coupled with renewed extremist incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque's courtyards.
The spokesperson placed full responsibility on the Israeli occupation for the repercussions of these terrorist attacks while demanding the US administration take immediate and urgent action to halt "Israel's" sustained aggression.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that sustainable peace requires recognizing Palestinians' rights to freedom, independence, and a sovereign state, citing increasing global recognition of Palestine as proof of international consensus for ending the war and establishing a permanent ceasefire. He emphasized that adhering to international legitimacy remains the sole path to achieving lasting regional and global stability.
Meanwhile, the Higher Presidential Committee of Churches in Occupied Palestine has warned of the dangerous repercussions of the ongoing violations at the al-Aqsa Mosque's sacred courtyards and called for immediate international protection of the holy site.
