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// DOSSIER — tensions-escalate-israeli-settlers-storm-al-aqsa-mosque
Tensions Escalate as Hundreds of Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque and Joseph's Tomb During Sukkot
REL_TIME: 02 Oct 2026 17:12Z · LANG: EN
During the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in late September and early October 2026, thousands of Israeli settlers, accompanied by high-profile officials including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Defense Minister Israel Katz, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. These incursions, protected by Israeli police, involved performing Talmudic rituals, which the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department and Palestinian critics state violate the long-standing status quo of the site. Simultaneously, Israeli forces imposed strict restrictions on Palestinian worshippers, forced the closure of Palestinian shops in Jerusalem's Old City, and secured another mass entry of settlers into Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, drawing widespread condemnation from Palestinian authorities and human rights groups.
// Background
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem is the third-holiest site in Islam, while Jews revere it as the Temple Mount, the site of two ancient temples. Under a historical status quo predating the 1967 Israeli occupation, the Jordan-affiliated Jerusalem Islamic Waqf holds exclusive administrative authority over the compound. However, since 2003, Israeli police have unilaterally permitted non-Muslims to enter the site through the Mughrabi Gate, leading to frequent tensions, particularly during Jewish holidays like Sukkot when settler entries and rituals intensify.
// Key Developments
- Over 7,000 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound over the course of the Sukkot holiday under heavy police protection.
- High-profile Israeli figures, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and former Knesset member Moshe Feiglin, participated in the incursions.
- Israeli authorities forced Palestinian shopkeepers in the Cotton Merchants Market to close and ordered residents to stay indoors to facilitate Jewish prayers.
- In Nablus, Israeli forces evacuated homes, deployed snipers, and established military barracks to protect hundreds of settlers entering Joseph's Tomb.
- The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department and Palestinian officials condemned the actions as dangerous provocations violating the historical status quo.
// Timeline
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The Jewish holiday of Sukkot begins, triggering a week of scheduled settler incursions.
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Over 1,500 settlers enter the Al-Aqsa compound on the second day of Sukkot, drawing condemnation from Palestinian officials.
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More than 1,700 settlers, including Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israel Katz, enter Al-Aqsa. Police order Palestinian shops in the Cotton Merchants Market to close.
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Between 966 and 1,400 settlers enter Al-Aqsa. Ben-Gvir also storms the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, which was closed to Muslim worshippers.
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Over 1,300 settlers, including former Knesset member Moshe Feiglin, enter the compound on the fifth day of Sukkot.
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Nearly 1,900 settlers storm Al-Aqsa, while Israeli forces deploy snipers and turn homes into barracks to secure Joseph's Tomb in Nablus for hundreds of Jewish visitors.
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The Sukkot holiday concludes amid ongoing restrictions and heightened regional tensions.
// Perspectives
[Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department]
Condemns the settler incursions and rituals as direct violations of the historical status quo, which designates the compound as an exclusively Muslim place of worship.
[Israeli Right-Wing Officials]
Asserts Jewish ownership over Al-Aqsa (Temple Mount) and other holy sites, advocating for the right of Jewish worshippers to pray and perform rituals there.
[Association for Civil Rights in Israel]
Argues that forcing Palestinian traders to close businesses and residents to stay indoors has no security justification and unfairly penalizes local Palestinians.
// Quotes
“We are the owners of the place in Al-Aqsa and in the prisons, and we have turned the lives of terrorist prisoners into hell.”
“The police are turning things upside down: Instead of protecting residents, ensuring the continuation of their daily lives and protecting their property, they are making them pay the price.”
“playing with fire and a dangerous provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world.”
