4,426 Israeli settlers broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in September, watchdog says

Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- 4,426 extremist Israeli settlers broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem in September 2022, according to a Palestinian network hub for Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem.

Al-Qastal documented that 4,426 Israeli settlers, including members of the Israeli Knesset and Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, broke into the holy site last month.

The settlers broke into the holy site daily and in two sessions, the morning and afternoon, except on Fridays and Saturdays, while being backed by well-armed Israeli soldiers.

They entered the mosque through the Al-Mughrabi Gate, one of the Gates of the Old City of Jerusalem and is under full-Israeli control, provoking Palestinian worshipers by performing Talmudic rituals and making Talmudic explanations before leaving it through the Al-Silsila Gate.

The most serious break-ins were during the so-called Jewish New Year, which started on September 26 and ended on September 27.

During the two days, hundreds of colonial Israeli settlers, backed by heavily-armed Israeli soldiers, broke into the mosque to mark the holiday. Strict restrictions were imposed by the occupation forces to facilitate the settlers’ incursions.

The Israeli forces barred Palestinians under the age of 40 from entering the Al-Aqsa, checking their ID cards, and erecting barriers in different areas of the Old City. They had also barricaded several gates leading to Al-Aqsa mosque, including the Bab Al-Amud Gate and other entry points to Al-Aqsa.

The forces deployed a surveillance plane in the sky of the occupied city to monitor the movement of people in the city.

According to Jerusalem’s Islamic Waqf, about 950 Israeli settlers broke into the site in groups in the two days, while Israeli forces barred Palestinian entry to the site.

During and before the break-ins in those two days, Waqf said that Israeli forces had savagely assaulted Palestinians in Al-Aqsa, arrested and drove some of them out, fired tear gas canisters inside the site, and blockaded the worshipers inside prayer halls in an attempt to empty the holy site of its worshipers to secure the entry of the Israeli colonial settlers.

Some settlers were filmed blowing the shofar, an ancient musical horn, outside the gates of Al-Aqsa and in Bab Al-Rahmah cemetery.

Extremist Israeli rabbi Yehudah Glick also broke into the Bab al-Rahma cemetery, located just outside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound’s eastern wall, raised the Israeli occupation flag over Muslims’ graves, and blew the shofar.

Israeli occupation authorities have allowed settler incursions to the mosque since 2003, under the forces’ protection.

In 2021, 34,562 settlers broke into the holy site, setting a new record, as in 2020, 19,000 settlers broke into the mosque, and 29,700 settlers in 2019, according to Al-Qastal.

There have been repeated objections and warnings by the Palestinian religious authorities as the settlers’ incursions provoke Palestinian worshipers of the mosque.

Israeli forces always facilitate and protect the settlers while preventing Palestinian worshipers from entering it, assaulting and detaining them.

The Al-Aqsa mosque is one of the holiest sites in Islam. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.

The complex also includes the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world.