Around 100 Israeli settlers entered the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday morning under heavy protection from Israeli police and special forces, carrying out what Palestinian sources described as provocative tours and religious rituals inside the sacred compound.

According to Jerusalem sources, the settlers entered Al-Aqsa through the Magharibeh Gate, which has remained under Israeli control since 1967. They were reportedly given explanations about the so-called Temple before exiting through the al-Silsila Gate along designated routes.

The incursions took place amid heightened Israeli restrictions on Palestinian worshippers seeking to access the mosque.

Israeli police imposed strict restrictions on Palestinian worshippers and young Palestinians around the compound, preventing some from entering Al-Aqsa while facilitating the settlers’ access, according to local sources.

Palestinian observers say the increasingly frequent incursions are not limited to visits. Settler groups have reportedly carried out Talmudic rituals, raised Israeli flags and performed “epic prostration” inside the compound.

The incursions generally take place during morning and afternoon periods, except on Fridays and Saturdays.

Palestinian officials and observers have repeatedly warned that such practices represent attempts to alter the established status quo at one of Islam’s holiest sites and create conditions for a temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

At the same time, Israeli authorities have intensified measures restricting Palestinian access to Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem’s Old City.

The restrictions have reportedly targeted religious figures, mosque guards, Islamic Waqf employees, worshippers, activists, journalists and prominent Jerusalem residents.

On Tuesday, Israeli authorities renewed a six-month ban preventing Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories and a preacher at Al-Aqsa Mosque, from entering the holy site. The order covers the period from July 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027.

According to the Jerusalem Governorate, Israeli authorities issued 17 orders in July alone banning Palestinians from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City. Those targeted reportedly included religious figures, public personalities, journalists and Jerusalem residents.

Palestinian officials view the repeated settler incursions and restrictions on Muslim worshippers as part of a broader policy aimed at consolidating Israeli control over Al-Aqsa and weakening the historic status quo governing the holy compound.

The growing presence of settlers inside the mosque compound, combined with restrictions imposed on Palestinian worshippers, has intensified concerns over the protection of Al-Aqsa and the rights of Muslims to freely worship at the site.

For Palestinians, Al-Aqsa remains a central symbol of their religious, national and historical identity, while any attempt to alter its status quo is regarded as a serious threat to the sanctity of the mosque and to the prospects for peace in Jerusalem. (ILKHA)