An official in the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: "Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy guard from the Israeli police." Ben-Gvir wrote on the X platform: "I prayed (in Al-Aqsa) for victory in the war, the return of all the hostages, and for the newly appointed head of the Shin Bet, Major General David Zinni, to succeed," he said.
Ben-Gvir was accompanied during the raid by Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Jewish Power MK Yitzhak Kreuzer, according to the post.
The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department said in a statement that 1,427 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning in groups under Israeli police escort. It added that more settlers may storm the mosque in the afternoon.
Earlier Monday morning, it was reported that 771 settlers entered the mosque within two hours, through the Mughrabi Gate in the Western Wall (the Wailing Wall), under Israeli police guard.
Eyewitnesses said the raids took place in large groups, noting the presence of Ariel Kleiner and Amit Halevi, members of the Knesset from the Likud party. Far-right Israeli groups had called for widespread raids and the raising of the Israeli flag on this anniversary.
The raids coincided with the Israeli government's announcement that it would hold a session in the Palestinian town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has been witnessing intensive settlement activity.
On Sunday evening, right-wing Israelis organized a "Flag March," starting in West Jerusalem and stopping at Damascus Gate in the Old City, where a "flag dance" will be held, accompanied by racist chants. The march then heads to al-Wad Street and reaches the Western Wall.
It's worth noting that the Israeli occupation has allowed settlers to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque since 2003. These raids occur daily, except for Fridays and Saturdays, during the morning and after the noon prayers. The Islamic Endowments Department has been demanding an end to these raids, without any response from the Israeli authorities.
For their part, the Palestinians assert that Israel seeks to Judaize occupied East Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque and obliterate its Arab and Islamic identity. They consider East Jerusalem the capital of their future state, based on international legitimacy resolutions that do not recognize Israel's occupation of the city in 1967 or its annexation in 1980.
Escalation in Jenin camp
In a related development, the Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression against the city of Jenin and its camp for the 126th day, with the expansion of bulldozing and destruction operations aimed at changing the camp's features and structure.
The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported that approximately 22,000 residents were displaced from the camp and its surroundings, posing significant challenges to the Jenin Municipality from both humanitarian and economic perspectives, according to Mayor Mohammed Jarrar.
According to WAFA, Jarar stated that the percentage of displaced persons represents 25% of the city's population, leading to economic, social, environmental, service, and health problems. He estimated the extent of the destruction at approximately $300 million, emphasizing that the occupation aims to transform the camp into an uninhabitable area.
He pointed out that the infrastructure had been completely destroyed, with 600 homes completely destroyed and most others damaged. He also noted that 4,000 workers had lost their jobs due to the aggression. He explained that the municipality had begun repairs in some areas, including repaving main streets and repairing water and sewage networks at a cost of 17 million shekels.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, occupation forces have arrested approximately 1,000 citizens from Jenin and Tulkarm over the past four months, including some who were later released. In recent days, occupation forces have arrested several young men from the town of Qabatiya, raided the town of Burqin, and arrested a young man near Jenin Governmental Hospital.
Villages in Jenin Governorate are witnessing near-daily raids, with the constant presence of Israeli occupation patrols and vehicles. Live ammunition continues to be fired inside Jenin refugee camp, amid constant military reinforcements.
Tensions are rising amid an ongoing Israeli war of extermination in Gaza, which began on October 7. This has left more than 176,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands displaced.
