Tensions in occupied Jerusalem have soared as Israeli police implement sweeping new measures to facilitate what could become the largest settler incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque in recent memory. Marking the Hebrew anniversary of Israel's full occupation of Jerusalem, these escalations have sparked alarm among Palestinians, who fear a deliberate attempt to alter the status quo of one of Islam’s holiest sites.

According to Jerusalem affairs expert Ziad Ebheis, the newly adopted strategy permits groups of settlers to enter the mosque compound every ten minutes, with up to six groups inside simultaneously. This could result in over a thousand settlers occupying the site at once—an unprecedented development that strips Al-Aqsa of its sanctity and signals a dangerous shift in Israeli policy.

The growing influence of far-right figures, notably National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, has led to a dramatic increase in settler numbers and aggression. Where once groups of 20 were allowed, now hundreds march in openly, raising flags, chanting, and performing religious rituals under the protection of armed forces, while Palestinian worshippers and guards are sidelined and silenced.

These actions are not isolated incidents. They are part of a wider campaign to impose a new reality on Al-Aqsa—one that aligns with an extremist vision of Judaization and domination. The timing, scale, and coordination of these incursions point to a calculated strategy to erode Palestinian presence and provoke confrontation.

Many now recall the “Sword of Jerusalem” uprising in 2021, when grassroots mobilisation pushed back against similar violations. Without renewed popular resistance, Ebheis warns, tomorrow could witness one of the most severe assaults on Al-Aqsa in modern history—a moment not just of religious desecration, but of national erasure.