Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, has warned that escalating Israeli incursions and political activities around the holy site during Jewish holidays represent a broader effort to impose new realities in occupied Jerusalem and challenge the mosque's established status.

Sabri's remarks came amid heightened tensions in occupied East Jerusalem during the Yom Kippur period. On Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined ministers and thousands of Israelis at the Al-Buraq Wall plaza in the Old City and visited tunnels beneath the area. On Sunday morning, hundreds of Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under Israeli police protection and performed Jewish prayers and rituals.

Speaking to the media, Sabri said the increasingly visible involvement of senior Israeli political figures in activities surrounding Al-Aqsa carries implications extending beyond religious observances.

He argued that repeated incursions, political visits and the public performance of rituals should be viewed as part of a gradual process aimed at turning temporary or exceptional practices into an accepted reality at the holy site.

Sabri said the pattern involved introducing a measure under heavy police protection, repeating it and gradually expanding it, before seeking to establish it as part of the political and legal landscape surrounding Al-Aqsa.

He warned that the progression from settler incursions to public prayers and religious rituals, followed by demands for designated times and spaces, could threaten the historic arrangements governing worship at the compound.

The Palestinian Jerusalem Affairs Department similarly described the latest developments as an increasingly organized process rather than isolated incidents, saying the overlap between Israeli political activity and religious practices around Al-Aqsa was becoming more pronounced.

The escalation coincided with the Jewish holiday season, which includes Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.

Palestinian officials said about 570 settlers had entered the Al-Aqsa compound by Sunday morning, with some performing Jewish prayers and rituals.

The latest incursions followed a large gathering at the Al-Buraq Wall on Saturday night, where Netanyahu participated in Jewish prayers alongside large numbers of Israelis. Reports said Netanyahu also toured excavation tunnels beneath the Old City.

In remarks recorded during his visit, Netanyahu referred to the area as being close to what he called the “Holy of Holies” and said, “We are here, and we will always remain here.”

Palestinian officials and religious authorities have condemned such statements and activities as attempts to reinforce Israeli claims over sites in and around Al-Aqsa.

Under the longstanding arrangements governing Jerusalem's holy sites, the Al-Aqsa compound is administered by the Islamic Waqf, while Jewish worship is conducted at the adjacent Al-Buraq/Western Wall. Palestinian and Jordanian authorities have repeatedly warned against attempts to alter these arrangements.

The Palestine Scholars Association also condemned Netanyahu's visit to excavations and tunnels beneath and around Al-Aqsa, describing it as part of what it characterized as an effort to establish Israeli sovereignty over the mosque and its surroundings.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the association said Al-Aqsa, including its courtyards, prayer halls, walls, gates and the areas above and below the compound, is an Islamic holy site. It argued that political declarations, excavations and religious rituals cannot change its Islamic identity.

The association warned that repeatedly presenting incursions and other controversial activities as routine could contribute to their normalization and eventually facilitate further changes on the ground.

It also criticized what it described as continued international normalization with Israel while tensions around Al-Aqsa and occupied Jerusalem persist, arguing that diplomatic engagement should not come at the expense of protecting the site's established arrangements.

The association called on Arab and Muslim governments, international institutions and religious authorities to work to preserve the existing status quo, support the Islamic Waqf and Jerusalem institutions, and pursue diplomatic and legal measures concerning developments at the holy site.

It also praised Palestinians maintaining a presence at Al-Aqsa, describing their continued worship and presence as an important element in preserving the mosque's Islamic character.

Sabri had previously warned that the Jewish holiday season could bring intensified restrictions and settler incursions around Al-Aqsa. The latest developments have renewed Palestinian concerns that religious occasions are increasingly being used as a setting for political demonstrations and attempts to reshape the reality around the holy site.

The escalation has also drawn condemnation from Palestinian political and religious groups. Hamas, for example, condemned Netanyahu's visit to the tunnels and excavations beneath the Old City, saying the visit and accompanying statements challenged Al-Aqsa's identity and status.

With the Jewish holiday season continuing, Palestinian religious and political figures have warned that further incursions and rituals could heighten tensions in occupied Jerusalem and deepen concerns over efforts to alter the established arrangements surrounding Al-Aqsa. (ILKHA)