The occupied city of Jerusalem witnessed a new escalation today, Friday, in the intensity of provocations led by settlers in the vicinity of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Groups of extremists organized noisy celebrations that included dancing and musical performances near the mosque's gates, specifically at the Bab Al-Asbat area, which sparked a state of intense anger among Palestinians present at the scene.
These provocative moves coincide with what the occupation authorities describe as the 'Jerusalem Unification Day' according to the Hebrew calendar, an occasion that the far-right exploits to impose new realities in the holy city. Participants in these celebrations deliberately performed their rituals at the closest possible point to the walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque under intense security protection.
In contrast, the Israeli police tightened their repressive measures against Palestinian worshippers, closing Bab Al-Asbat and Bab Al-Malik Faisal to those coming to pray. Forces imposed strict age restrictions, preventing hundreds of young men from entering the mosque courtyards, which forced many of them to pray in the streets surrounding the Old City.
These field developments come one day after the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leading a large group of settlers exceeding 1300 people. During the storming, Ben-Gvir raised the Israeli flag inside the Haram al-Sharif, a move considered a blatant challenge to Muslim sentiments and a violation of the status quo.
From inside the mosque, the extremist minister made racist statements, claiming to have restored what he described as 'sovereignty and governance' over the site that the occupation calls 'Temple Mount'. Ben-Gvir affirmed in his speech that all of Jerusalem is under Israeli control, which was met with widespread condemnation from national and religious bodies in Jerusalem.
Violations were not limited to incursions; Israeli government ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, participated in the annual 'Flag March' that paraded through the streets of the Old City. The march witnessed physical and verbal assaults on Palestinian citizens and their property, amidst racist chants calling for death to Arabs.
Field sources reported that the occupation authorities transformed the Old City into a closed military barracks, after deploying about 14,000 security personnel to secure the settlers' routes. These measures led to a complete paralysis of commercial activity in the old markets, where shop owners were forced to close their doors to avoid assaults by march participants.
On the political front, Palestinian and Arab parties warned of the danger of these continuous violations that seek to transform the conflict into a comprehensive religious confrontation. Reports confirmed that the international community's continued silence regarding these practices encourages the occupation to proceed with its plans to Judaize Jerusalem and change its Arab and Islamic identity.
We have restored sovereignty and governance to the Temple Mount, and all of Jerusalem is ours.
שתף את דעתך
Provocative Celebrations by Settlers at Al-Aqsa Gates Amidst Security Siege on Worshippers