Nearly 1,900 Israeli occupiers storm Al-Aqsa; hundreds more force their way into ‘Joseph’s Tomb’

Nearly 1,900 Israeli occupiers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, while hundreds of others forced their way into “Joseph’s Tomb” in the eastern part of Nablus under heavy Israeli military protection. The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department said 1,895 Israeli occupiers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, including 1,195 during the morning and another 700 after noon prayers. Photos and videos posted by occupiers showed them performing Talmudic rituals and prayers, including “epic prostration,” as well as singing and dancing. The practices violate the longstanding status quo in place since before Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, under which the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, has exclusive responsibility for administering the entire 144-dunam (35.6-acre) Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as a Muslim place of worship. Egypt condemned the incursions and the “provocative practices and religious rituals” inside the mosque compound, warning against “attempts to change the status quo and impose a new reality” at the holy site. “Egypt stresses the need to preserve the historical and legal status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites,” said the foreign ministry, adding that the existing arrangements are “a fundamental pillar for avoiding the fueling of tensions.” Cairo warned that repeated violations would further heighten tensions and threaten security and stability in the occupied Palestinian territories and the wider region. Extremist Israeli right-wing groups had called for mass incursions into Al-Aqsa during Sukkot, which began Saturday and runs through Friday. More than 1,500 occupiers stormed the mosque Sunday, with 1,700 Monday, more than 1,400 Tuesday and over 2,400 Wednesday, according to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. Hundreds of Israeli occupiers also stormed “Joseph’s Tomb” in the eastern part of Nablus in the occupied West Bank early Thursday and performed Talmudic rituals under heavy protection from Israeli forces, according to official sources. Israeli military vehicles stormed the eastern part of Nablus and forced residents of homes surrounding the site to evacuate, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported. The homes were turned into military barracks, while Israeli snipers were deployed on the rooftops of several houses, it added, citing sources. Buses carrying hundreds of occupiers forced their entry into the eastern part of the city and headed to “Joseph’s Tomb,” where they performed Talmudic rituals, according to the report. Al-Aqsa Mosque has seen intensified occupier incursions since the start of the Jewish holidays under heavy Israeli police protection and tightened measures across Jerusalem. The holiday period began with Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 12-13, followed by Yom Kippur on Sept. 21-22. Sukkot runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, followed by Simchat Torah on Oct. 3. “Joseph’s Tomb” is located on the eastern edge of Nablus, an area under Palestinian control, and is one of the most tense sites in the West Bank. Since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, Jewish worshippers have regarded the site as a sacred religious shrine and believe the remains of the Prophet Joseph, son of Jacob, are buried there. Archaeologists dispute that claim, saying the site is only a few centuries old and is likely the tomb of a Muslim sheikh named Yusuf Dweikat. Palestinians say Israel has for decades intensified measures aimed at Judaizing occupied East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erasing the city’s Arab and Islamic identity.