Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Tuesday morning through the Mughrabi Gate, under the protection of heavily armed IDF soldiers, marking the beginning of the Jewish festival of Sukkot.

According to the Islamic Waqf in occupied Jerusalem, groups of settlers roamed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa performing rituals in the eastern area, while Israeli forces expelled Palestinian worshippers and threatened mosque guards. Access to the mosque was severely restricted, with soldiers stationed at all entrances, blocking many Palestinians from praying at the holy site.

Witnesses reported that some settlers carried ritual plants used during Sukkot, moving in groups under military escort. These incursions were organised by extremist “Temple Mount” movements that offered free transport and incentives to encourage mass participation, seeking to impose new religious and political realities on the sacred compound.

Palestinian religious authorities warned that these violations form part of a systematic attempt to Judaise Al-Aqsa and enforce a temporal and spatial division of the site. The ongoing Israeli provocations have drawn strong condemnation from Palestinians and the wider Muslim world, who view them as an assault on both faith and heritage.