Israeli settlers storm occupied al-Quds in provocative 'Flag March'
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Israeli settlers, led by Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, invade Al-Aqsa Mosque, provoking widespread condemnation.
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Settlers walk with Israeli flags along an alley in the Old City of al-Quds on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for the so-called "Jerusalem Day", commemorating "Israel's" occupation of the city's eastern sector (AFP)
Israeli settlers, led by Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, stormed the Damascus Gate area in occupied al-Quds on Monday to launch the provocative “Flag March”, under heavy security restrictions imposed on Palestinian residents of the city, who confronted the settlers’ incursions, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent.
The so-called "Flag March" is an annual event marked by extremist Israeli settlers to commemorate what is referred to as “Jerusalem Day", marking the anniversary of the city's Israeli occupation. The march is widely viewed as a provocation and part of broader efforts to Judaize the city.
Today, at least 1,427 Israeli settlers stormed #Al_Aqsa Mosque as part of the annual "Flag March," a provocative event commemorating "Israel's" occupation of East #Jerusalem during the Naksa in 1967.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 26, 2025
The march deliberately passes through #Palestinian neighborhoods, with… pic.twitter.com/lfxNirCdLe
Smotrich urges occupying Gaza
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also took part in the march, renewed the call for Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip while addressing settlers in the "Flag March" rally.
“Are we afraid of victory?” the far-right minister asked the crowd, which responded altogether “no".
“Are we afraid of the word ‘occupation?'” which the settlers again answered with a massive “no".
“Are we settling the Land of Israel? Are we liberating Gaza?” he shouted, before adding, “We are triumphing over the enemy!”
Settlers chant provocative slogans
At Damascus Gate, settlers performed the Hora, an Israeli folk dance, and, after gathering at the al-Buraq Wall near Al-Aqsa Mosque, chanted provocative slogans, including, “Let’s build the Temple… It’s time to build the Temple.”
Thousands of settlers continue to storm the courtyard of Al-Buraq Wall in #Al_Aqsa Mosque pic.twitter.com/9atMvff8LZ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 26, 2025
مستوطنون يرقصون عند باب المجلس أحد أبواب المسجد الأقصى المبارك في ظل الاقتحامات المستمرة لباحات الأقصى. pic.twitter.com/LE7oEEl49V
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) May 26, 2025
In parallel, large groups of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in successive waves, under the protection of Israeli police forces.
The Islamic Waqf (Endowment) in occupied al-Quds reported that the number of settlers who had stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the morning had reached 2,092.
Status quo shattered
Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said the mosque’s courtyards were almost completely emptied of Muslim worshippers amid the ongoing settler incursions.
The same sources reported that settlers had assaulted shops in the Old City of occupied al-Quds.
Under the long-standing status quo, maintained since "Israel" occupied the eastern part of occupied al-Quds in 1967, non-Muslims are allowed to visit the site during designated hours but are not permitted to pray there. The site is administered by Jordan, while "Israel" controls access.
In recent years, increasing numbers of Israeli extremists, including Ben-Gvir, have defied the status quo by publicly praying at the site in 2023 and 2024.
The United Nations has previously condemned "any efforts to change the status quo within the holy sites."
Read more: New US ambassador to 'Israel' storms Al-Aqsa Mosque after taking post
Settlers storm UNRWA headquarters
According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, settlers also stormed the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, raising banners calling for its takeover.
Israeli authorities have cut ties with UNRWA, which they accuse of being infiltrated by the Palestinian Resistance.
Palestinian response and acts of defiance
In response to the "Flag March", dozens gathered in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank for a rally calling for a broad Palestinian grassroots mobilization. The demonstration urged all sectors of Palestinian society to unite behind a popular resistance to thwart "Israel’s" war on Gaza, the West Bank, and al-Quds, including the provocations and attacks by settlers.
Palestinian factions and political groups in Ramallah organized a protest condemning the ongoing genocide and forced displacement carried out by the Israeli occupation in both Gaza and the West Bank. Participants waved Palestinian flags and carried banners denouncing the occupation and rejecting its crimes.
Palestinian factions condemn Al-Aqsa storming, provocative march
On their part, Palestinian factions strongly condemned the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and its desecration by settlers and Israeli officials.
PIJ
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement described the assault by Israeli forces and Ben-Gvir on al-Quds and Al-Aqsa as part of a systematic campaign of desecration, calling it “a blatant provocation to Muslims around the world.”
In its statement, the group warned that “these provocative practices aim to assert Israeli sovereignty over the mosque, impose division, and advance its Judaization.”
The movement held the Israeli government fully responsible for the consequences of these violations and condemned the silence of Arab governments regarding these Israeli crimes.
Popular Resistance Committees
The Popular Resistance Committees in Palestine also condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa, calling it an affront to all Arabs and Muslims. The group characterized the incident as part of the “Talmudic war” waged by "Israel’s" far-right government, which seeks to destroy Al-Aqsa and establish the so-called Temple in its place.
The statement emphasized that “the continued raids on the mosque, the raising of Israeli flags, and dancing in its courtyards are all aimed at asserting full control over the entire mosque.”
Al-Mujahideen Movement
Similarly, the al-Mujahideen Movement decried the Arab and Islamic silence in the face of the ongoing Israeli siege and assaults on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of al-Quds.
The group condemned the settlers’ provocations during the so-called “Flag March” as a fresh affront to the sentiments of two billion Muslims worldwide.
France condemns Ben-Gvir's storming of Al-Aqsa
On its part, the French Foreign Ministry condemned Ben-Gvir’s storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, describing it as “a new and unacceptable provocation” and “a violation of the historic status quo" of the holy sites in al-Quds.
