Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Compound Again as Sukkot Holiday Enters Fifth Day

Hundreds of Israeli settlers and religious nationalists entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, marking the fifth consecutive day of such incursions during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, according to Palestinian officials.

The Islamic Waqf Department, which administers the site, reported that approximately 700 Israelis participated in the storming, including former Israeli lawmaker Moshe Feiglin, a prominent figure in the far-right religious Zionist movement. The group entered the compound under the protection of Israeli police forces.

During the incursion, participants performed Jewish religious rituals and sang in the mosque's courtyards, actions that Palestinian authorities and international observers say violate the longstanding status quo governing the holy site. The status quo arrangement, maintained for decades, designates the Waqf as having exclusive responsibility for administering the compound—known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, and to Jews as the Temple Mount—as a place of worship reserved exclusively for Muslims.

Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, reported that Israeli restrictions on the entry of Palestinian Muslim worshippers continued throughout Wednesday. The Jerusalem governorate confirmed that these limitations remained in effect as Israeli settlers accessed the site freely.

The incursion is part of a broader pattern of escalated Israeli visits to the compound since the beginning of the Jewish holiday season earlier this month. On Tuesday alone, 966 Israelis entered the site through the Moroccan Gate alongside Israeli police, performing what Palestinian officials described as Talmudic rituals and singing collectively in the mosque's courtyards.

The current holiday period began with the Jewish New Year on September 12 and 13, followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, observed on September 21 and 22. Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, commenced on September 26 and continues through October 2. Simchat Torah, which marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, will be celebrated on October 3.

Israeli authorities have also imposed movement restrictions on Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. The Jerusalem governorate reported that officials closed the road leading to the Lions' Gate area, as well as the entrance to al-Turba Road, which leads to the town of Silwan. These closures were implemented to facilitate Israeli access to the Western Wall, located adjacent to the Al-Aqsa compound.

The repeated incursions have drawn condemnation from Palestinian officials and raised concerns about the fragility of the status quo arrangement at one of the world's most sensitive religious sites. The compound holds profound significance for both Muslims and Jews, and any perceived change to its administration or access rules has historically triggered widespread unrest.

Moshe Feiglin, who participated in Wednesday's storming, is a former member of the Knesset known for his advocacy of Jewish prayer at the site and his opposition to Palestinian sovereignty in Jerusalem. His presence among the group underscores the increasingly prominent role of religious nationalist figures in challenging the established arrangements at the compound.

The timing of these incursions during the High Holidays has amplified tensions in Jerusalem and across the region. The holiday season, which draws large numbers of Jewish worshippers to the city, has coincided with intensified restrictions on Palestinian access to the mosque, creating a stark disparity in religious freedom at the site.

Under the status quo agreement, non-Muslim visitors are permitted to enter the compound at specific times but are not allowed to pray there. Israeli authorities have in recent years allowed increasing numbers of Jewish visitors, and some participants have been observed performing religious rituals—a development that Palestinian leaders view as a deliberate effort to alter the site's character and assert Jewish claims to it.

The Waqf Department has consistently documented and reported such violations, calling on the international community to intervene. The Jordanian government, which has custodianship over the Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem under a 1994 peace treaty with Israel, has previously warned that unilateral changes to the status quo would have serious consequences for regional stability.

The international community, including the United States and European Union, has repeatedly affirmed the importance of maintaining the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites. However, diplomatic statements have done little to halt the escalating pattern of settler incursions and restrictions on Palestinian worshippers.

The Al-Aqsa compound is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism. The Western Wall, located below the compound's western retaining wall, is the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray. The proximity of these sacred spaces makes the area a flashpoint for religious and political tensions.

Palestinian residents of Jerusalem have expressed growing alarm at the changing situation. Restrictions on movement, combined with the visible presence of Israeli settlers performing rituals in the mosque's courtyards, have contributed to a sense of siege among the Palestinian population in the city.

The incursions during Sukkot follow a pattern established during previous Jewish holidays this year, with daily reports of settlers entering the compound in large groups. The Israeli police presence accompanying these groups has been described by Palestinian officials as providing protection and facilitation rather than maintaining order or enforcing the status quo.

As the holiday season continues, Palestinian leaders and Islamic authorities are calling for international pressure to end what they describe as systematic violations of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The coming days, particularly with Simchat Torah approaching on October 3, are expected to see further attempts by Israeli settlers to access the compound, raising the prospect of continued tensions in occupied East Jerusalem.