Concerns are mounting in occupied East Jerusalem after Israeli police launched a recruitment campaign aimed at expanding a special unit linked to activities inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a move widely viewed as deepening cooperation between state authorities and hardline settler organisations seeking greater control over the holy site.

Promotional material published this week called for volunteers to join the so-called “Temple Mount Unit”, a police division tasked with securing settler incursions into the compound and overseeing restrictions imposed on Palestinian worshippers. The campaign reportedly targets activists affiliated with the religious Zionist movement and groups advocating the construction of a Jewish temple on the site of Al-Aqsa.

Palestinian officials and Jerusalem-based observers warned that the initiative signals a dangerous new stage in efforts to alter the historic and legal status of the mosque compound. They argue that Israeli authorities are no longer attempting to conceal coordination with extremist groups pushing for expanded religious rituals inside the sanctuary, but are instead formalising their role within security structures operating at the site.

Analysts monitoring developments in Jerusalem said the move reflects a broader strategy already seen across the occupied West Bank, where armed settler groups increasingly operate with institutional backing. According to critics, similar tactics are now being adapted for use around Al-Aqsa, with the aim of intimidating worshippers and reducing the Palestinian presence at one of Islam’s holiest places.

Religious and political figures in Jerusalem warned that integrating ideological activists into policing roles around the compound could lead to harsher restrictions on prayers, increased incursions by settlers and a further expansion of Talmudic rituals within the mosque courtyards. They also expressed concern that the authority of the Islamic Waqf, historically responsible for administering the site, continues to be undermined through growing interference and operational restrictions.

The recruitment campaign has intensified fears that the genocidal war and wider regional turmoil are being used to accelerate long-standing efforts to reshape the identity of Jerusalem’s holy sites. Despite years of checkpoints, closures and security measures, large numbers of Palestinian worshippers continue to gather at Al-Aqsa, particularly during Fridays and religious occasions, reinforcing the site’s central role in Palestinian religious and national life.