966 Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Tuesday, amid violations that included performing Talmudic rituals and prayers in the mosque's courtyards.
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The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said in a brief statement that 966 settlers stormed the mosque this morning.
The incursions were accompanied by the performance of Talmudic rituals, prayers, singing and dancing, especially in the eastern part of the mosque.
The incursions came on the fourth day of the so-called Jewish “Feast of Tabernacles”.
Videos and photos distributed by extreme right-wing Israeli groups showed settlers performing Talmudic rituals and prayers, including what is called epic prostration.
Other clips showed settlers singing and dancing.
Far-right groups had called for large-scale incursions into the mosque to mark the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which began on Saturday and lasts for a week.
According to the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem, more than 1,500 settlers stormed the mosque on Sunday and more than 1,700 on Monday, including the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The incursions come at the same time as the occupation authorities tighten their military measures around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City, and impose restrictions on the entry and movement of worshippers.
The Jerusalem Governorate condemned the attacks carried out by settlers against Palestinian citizens in the Old City of Jerusalem, particularly in the Damascus Gate area, coinciding with their celebrations of the so-called Feast of Tabernacles, and the accompanying harassment and attacks against citizens, passersby, and shop owners.
The governorate confirmed in a press statement that these attacks are no longer isolated or fleeting incidents, but have become remarkably frequent with every Jewish holiday or occasion, targeting citizens in the Old City, including the elderly, women, and shop owners, in addition to journalists and photographers who are harassed and assaulted while carrying out their work and reporting what is happening on the ground.
According to data from the Jerusalem Governorate, more than 40,661 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the beginning of the year until the end of August 2026, while the number of decisions to expel Jerusalemites from the mosque reached about 800 decisions from the beginning of the year until the beginning of September.
On the fourth day, the closure of Jerusalemite shops was repeated, especially in the Old City and the vicinity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has become facing harsh and accumulating economic conditions as a result of the closure policies, restrictions on movement, attacks and practices that accompany Jewish holidays, at a time when merchants have been suffering since October 7, 2023 from a suffocating economic crisis due to the sharp collapse in tourism and the decline in the number of visitors.
The Jerusalem Governorate explained in a statement that the repercussions of the Jewish holidays are not limited to closing roads and imposing restrictions on the movement of citizens, but extend directly to the livelihoods of merchants, restaurant owners, tourist shops, hotels, craftsmen, traditional industries, and workers in the transportation and tourism services sector.
She explained that the economic assessment data for the Old City showed the extent of the damage to tourist shops, noting that tourism-related business activities stopped for long periods after October 2023, while a large percentage of souvenir shops remained closed due to the sharp decline in tourist numbers.
She said that Jewish holidays add a new layer of suffering to an economic crisis from which traders have not yet recovered, as they coincide with road closures, tightened security measures, reduced movement of citizens, and prevention of normal access to markets, in addition to fears of settler attacks on shops and property.
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asiawest
