Far-Right Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir Leads Hundreds of Israelis in Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound Incursion

Hundreds of Israelis, led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under heavy police protection on the third day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in occupied East Jerusalem.

According to the Jerusalem governorate, Israeli forces closed intersections and streets surrounding the Old City leading to the site—known to Jews as the Temple Mount—while 900 individuals entered the compound during the morning.

During the raid, participants danced and sang in circles inside the courtyards of the mosque. "We are the owners of the place in Al-Aqsa and in the prisons, and we have turned the lives of terrorist prisoners into hell," stated Itamar Ben-Gvir. "The people of Israel are on the path to absolute victory, and today we pray in Al-Aqsa, which is the most important place for the Jewish people."

The intrusion coincided with Israeli authorities forcing dozens of Palestinian shopkeepers to shut their businesses and local residents to stay indoors near the mosque area to accommodate Jewish prayers.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel reported that owners of shops, cafes, and restaurants in the Cotton Merchants Market were compelled to close during the Sukkot holiday.

In response, Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned the event, calling it "playing with fire and a dangerous provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world," and warned that the actions risked inciting a "religious war" in the region.

Since 2003, Israeli police have permitted daily incursions by Israelis into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, excluding Fridays and Saturdays, while frequently imposing access restrictions on Palestinian worshippers.