Pictures & Videos| Israeli settlers break into Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque in large numbers
Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- Large numbers of colonial Israeli settlers broke into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem on Tuesday morning, while being backed by heavily-armed Israeli forces, on the eve of the so-called Yom Kippur holiday.
Local sources reported that 509 colonial Israeli settlers broke into the Al-Aqsa mosque courtyards since the early morning hours of Tuesday, including former Israeli Knesset member Shuli Mualem, and more settlers are expected to storm the holy site in the next hours.
من بينهم عضو الكنيست السابقة " شولي معلم".. مئات المستوطنين اقتحموا المسجد الأقصى حتى اللحظة#الأقصى_يستغيث pic.twitter.com/QExdQ1MF0J
— AlQastal القسطل (@AlQastalps) October 4, 2022
The settlers 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, under the portection of well-armed Israeli forces who harassed Palestinian worshipers, obstructed their access to the holy site, checked and confiscated their ID cards and forced some of them out of the mosque.
مستوطنون يؤدون طقوسًا تلمودية خلال اقتحامهم الأقصى بحماية قوات الاحتلال#الأقصى_يستغيث pic.twitter.com/A3wHlsOakr
— AlQastal القسطل (@AlQastalps) October 4, 2022
من اقتحام المستوطنين للمسجد الأقصى هذا الصباح#الأقصى_يستغيث pic.twitter.com/VOgNZOgLnk
— AlQastal القسطل (@AlQastalps) October 4, 2022
Sources reported that colonial settlers also blew the shofar, an ancient musical horn, in the Bab al-Rahma cemetery, located just outside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound’s eastern wall, between the Muslims’ graves.
The break-ins come on the eve of the so-called Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, or the day of atonement.
Last month, 4,426 extremist Israeli settlers broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to Al-Qastal, a Palestinian network hub for Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem.
The most serious break-ins were during the so-called Jewish New Year, which started on September 26 and ended on September 27. Strict restrictions were imposed by the occupation forces to facilitate the settlers’ incursions. 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.
Israeli settlers are expected to break into Al-Aqsa in the upcoming weeks in great numbers as they mark Yom Kippur on October 5 and Sukkot between 10 and 17 October.
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.
