Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led hundreds of settlers in a provocative march and mass incursion into Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound Sunday, coinciding with the Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av.
According to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, at least 1,251 illegal Israeli settlers stormed the mosque compound in the morning hours, performing Talmudic rituals, singing and dancing under heavy police protection.
Among the participants was Likud lawmaker Amit Halevi, who joined Ben-Gvir in what Palestinian officials called an "unprecedented escalation in political and religious incitement,” according to WAFA news agency.
The Jerusalem Governorate warned of the seriousness of this large-scale, organized incursion, calling it a "systematic violation” of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rights of Palestinian worshippers.
The incursion included assaults on Muslim worshippers, journalists and Al-Aqsa guards.
