Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Amid Heightened Tensions in Jerusalem

On April 25, 2024, hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, marking the second day of the Jewish Passover holiday. The settlers, divided into groups and protected by Israeli police, entered the holy site through the Al-Mugharbah Gate and performed Talmudic rituals in the eastern and northern courtyards.

According to the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, over 700 settlers raided the mosque complex in the morning hours. Eyewitnesses reported a heavy deployment of Israeli forces inside the mosque to secure the settlers. The police imposed severe restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshippers, inspecting their IDs at the gates of Jerusalem and preventing many from accessing the site.

Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib, the deputy head of the Islamic Movement in 1948 occupied Palestine, called on Muslim worshippers to keep frequenting the Al-Aqsa Mosque to defend it against the ongoing Israeli raids and violations. The Hamas Movement also urged Palestinian masses to mobilize and stay in the mosque's buildings and courtyards until Monday to protect the holy site from Israeli desecration and Judaization plans.

Tensions have been high in the occupied West Bank since Israel launched a military offensive against the Gaza Strip after an incursion by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to stop genocidal acts and provide humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.

The Israeli bombardment of Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 79 Palestinians and the injury of 86 others over the last 24 hours. The attacks have targeted civilian areas, with a Palestinian mother and her two children killed in an airstrike on a house in the Shati refugee camp, and three other civilians killed and dozens injured in an attack on a house in the Nassr neighborhood of Gaza City.

Why this matters: The storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza threatens to further escalate tensions and violence in the region. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a sacred site for Muslims, and the Israeli actions are seen as a provocation and violation of Palestinian rights.

The Palestinian Authority and several international organizations have condemned the settlers' actions, saying they could result in violence and hamper peace efforts. "The Israeli authorities and settlers are seeking to strip East Jerusalem of its Palestinian Muslim and Christian character and turn it into a Jewish-Israeli area," a Palestinian official stated. The incident is part of the longstanding disputes over access to religious sites in Jerusalem, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Key Takeaways

• Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.
• Israeli forces imposed restrictions on Muslim worshippers' access to the holy site.
• Tensions escalated amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, with civilian casualties.
• Palestinian authorities and organizations condemned the settlers' actions as a provocation.
• The incident is part of the longstanding disputes over access to religious sites in Jerusalem.