Gaza Genocide16 May, 20262 min read
Dozens of Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Perform Jewish Rituals
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Dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards and performed Jewish rituals. The incursion occurred under heavy protection from Israeli occupation forces.
Al-Aqsa under heavy protection
Dozens of settlers stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Friday under heavy protection from the Israeli occupation forces, with Palestinian sources saying dozens entered the Bab al-Asbat area and performed Jewish rituals and provocative acts in the mosque’s courtyards. The same source said that on Thursday the Al-Aqsa Mosque saw a wide series of incursions into its courtyards by settlers, including Jewish prayers, provocative dances, and racist chants, with participation of Israeli ministers and Knesset members including the extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The Jerusalem Governorate warned that choosing Friday specifically for the intrusion reveals clear intent to break the status quo and set dangerous precedents not seen since the city’s occupation, and it described the campaign as led by the so-called Temple organizations with support of political figures in the occupation government. Ziad Abuhays, a researcher specializing in Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, warned that the danger of settlers’ intrusion into Al-Aqsa on Friday remains strong despite the occupation’s attempts to practice "ambiguity and maneuvering," and he called on Palestinian masses for a broad vigil from dawn prayers until sunset.
Netanyahu silence and Hamas
Abuhays said Prime Minister Netanyahu’s silence toward petitions demanding Friday intrusions, signed by ministers and prominent MKs such as Yariv Levin and Israel Katz, coincides with opacity in the stance of the occupation police. He added that while police claim Friday is not reserved for intrusions, they pledged to secure the celebrations on Thursday and Friday without disclosing details of their procedures, which he described as "part of a maneuver to impose the intrusion as a de facto reality."
Hamas described the Israeli incursions into Al-Aqsa and the Flag March as "failed attempts" to alter the identity of the holy land, stressing that it will remain Palestinian-Arab-Islamic. The same source said Hamas added that the Palestinian resistance would remain true to its oath and vow to defend Al-Aqsa and protect the people, land, and sanctities, "no matter the sacrifices, the escalation of aggression, and the expansion of Zionist schemes and conspiracies."
Old City shops attacked
While the Al-Aqsa incursions and the Flag March were framed as part of judaization policies, WAFA reported that Israeli colonists attacked commercial shops in Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday evening. WAFA said the Jerusalem Governorate reported that dozens of colonists attacked shops and vandalized their contents on al-Wad Street in the Old City.
In a separate incident, WAFA reported that a Palestinian man was injured Saturday evening in an attack carried out by Israeli colonists in the town of Qaffin, north of Tulkarm, and that the Palestinian Red Crescent Society treated him for injuries sustained during the attack. Terre Sainte Magazine described how Israeli authorities tightened restrictions in Jerusalem after a rapid offensive launched against Iran on June 13, saying they decided to seal off the Old City and that police ordered pastry chef Jack Amer to close his shop on June 14.