More than 3,000 Israeli settlers, led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday in what Palestinians say was the largest incursion since the site was occupied in 1967. Under heavy military protection, settlers entered in organised groups every ten minutes, performing rituals and chanting inside the mosque’s courtyards, while Palestinians were barred from access to the compound.

The raid, timed to coincide with a Jewish religious commemoration, was openly backed by senior Israeli officials, with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declaring plans to “strengthen sovereignty” over Jerusalem despite mounting global criticism. Images showed unprecedented religious rituals performed inside Al-Aqsa, intensifying fears of efforts to impose new realities at the holy site.

Palestinian religious leaders condemned the storming as an attack on Muslim worship and a deliberate provocation. Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, Imam of Al-Aqsa, accused Israel of systematically targeting Islamic and Christian sites to cement control over occupied Jerusalem. The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments called the raid part of a wider plan by Israel’s far-right government to seize religious landmarks and urged a continuous Palestinian presence at Al-Aqsa.

Arab states including Saudi Arabia and Jordan condemned the raid as a violation of international law, while Palestinian authorities described it as state-backed terrorism. Resistance groups warned that these provocations, coupled with the siege of Gaza and attacks in the West Bank, risk plunging the region into deeper conflict. For Palestinians, the raid symbolises the ongoing assault not just on their land, but on their faith and identity.