SAFA – Member of the Al-Aqsa Mosque Waqf Council and Jerusalem affairs researcher Fakhri Abu Diab has warned of escalating Israeli plans to expand the Jewish presence inside Al-Aqsa Mosque through large-scale settler incursions during the so-called Tisha B'Av, which commemorates the destruction of the Jewish temples. He called for intensified Palestinian presence at the mosque, describing it as "the first line of defense" in protecting the holy site.

Abu Diab said extremist Temple groups are mobilizing thousands of settlers to enter Al-Aqsa next Thursday, aiming to bring about 5,000 participants in what he described as an attempt to impose new realities inside the mosque.

He said the groups seek to expand the Jewish presence at the site and gradually advance what he described as a Judaization agenda aimed at altering its Islamic identity and replacing it with a Talmudic one.

According to Abu Diab, the Temple groups enjoy full backing from the Israeli government and official institutions, which provide protection for settlers and support measures aimed at changing the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa.

He added that Israeli authorities have moved beyond symbolic measures and are now pursuing practical plans to transform the site into what he described as a "Jewish temple and synagogue" by creating new facts on the ground within the mosque compound.

Abu Diab also said Israeli authorities continue to impose strict security measures across occupied Jerusalem, including closing roads leading to the Old City and the area surrounding Al-Aqsa while increasing the military presence. He said these measures facilitate settler incursions while further restricting Palestinians' access to the mosque.

He stressed that maintaining a strong Palestinian presence in and around Al-Aqsa remains the first line of defense against what he described as Israeli Judaization plans. He called on all Palestinians who are able to reach Jerusalem to travel to the mosque and help protect it through their presence.