Early on Wednesday, a group of 508 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound through the Bab al-Maghariba gate under heavy police protection, coinciding with celebrations marking what is referred to in Israel as “Independence Day” according to the Hebrew calendar. The movement into the site took place amid tightly controlled access arrangements affecting local worshippers.

The entry followed calls from hardline organisations advocating large-scale gatherings inside the compound and the raising of national flags. Inside the courtyards, participants were reported to have carried out religious rituals in different areas of the site, including organised chants near the Dome of the Rock. Some were seen wearing clothing displaying national symbols, while coordinated gestures of prayer were performed near Bab al-Rahma.

Access restrictions on worshippers were intensified at the gates, with identity checks and prolonged delays imposed before entry was permitted. The compound continues to witness near-daily entries by settlers, excluding Fridays and Saturdays, in what is widely viewed as an ongoing effort to alter the character of the site through repeated symbolic displays and heightened control measures. Calls from within the local population to increase presence and maintain a constant vigil at the site have grown in response.