Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque and arrests in the West Bank: Details and repercussions

of the Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed a series of incursions today by dozens of settlers, under heavy security provided by the Israeli occupation police. These incursions were carried out in successive groups who entered through the Mughrabi Gate and conducted provocative tours of the Al-Aqsa compound, angering worshippers and those maintaining a vigil at the site.

Arrest campaign in the West Bank

Amidst the tensions in Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces escalated their military operations in the occupied West Bank. Field sources reported that the occupation forces launched a widespread campaign of raids and searches targeting numerous Palestinian homes, resulting in the arrest of at least 13 Palestinians. These operations were particularly concentrated in the cities of Jericho, Bethlehem, and Nablus, where the incursions were accompanied by sporadic clashes and the destruction of the contents of some of the targeted homes.

Historical context and current situation in Al-Aqsa

These incursions come within the context of ongoing attempts to alter the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a status quo that restricts the right to pray at the mosque to Muslims only, while allowing non-Muslims to visit at specific times without performing religious rituals. Since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, the Israeli occupation authorities have controlled the keys to the Mughrabi Gate and use it as a launching point for these incursions, which have increased significantly in recent years, amid Palestinian and Arab fears of plans to divide the mosque both temporally and spatially.

Religious significance and repercussions of events

Al-Aqsa Mosque holds exceptional importance as the first Qibla (direction of prayer) and the third holiest site in Islam for Muslims worldwide. Therefore, the repeated incursions not only provoke Palestinian sentiments but also have repercussions throughout the Muslim world. These actions often lead to waves of escalation and violent confrontations in the Palestinian territories, as well as political and diplomatic responses from Arab and Islamic states and the international community, who consistently warn of the dangers of violating the sanctity of the site and its impact on the stability of the entire region.