Hundreds of Israelis entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, the fifth day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, while restrictions on Palestinian Muslim worshippers continued.
The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department said about 700 Israelis, including former lawmaker Moshe Feiglin, entered the site under the protection of Israeli police. Some performed Jewish religious rituals and sang in the courtyards, in what Palestinian officials said breached the long-standing status quo.
The compound is administered by the Islamic Waqf, under an arrangement that recognises it as a place of worship exclusively for Muslims. It is also known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary.
Israeli authorities also closed the road towards the Lions’ Gate area and the entrance to al-Turba Road leading to Silwan, according to the Jerusalem governorate. The closures were intended to ease access for Israelis travelling to the Western Wall.
Israeli incursions into the Al-Aqsa compound have increased during the Jewish holiday period. On Tuesday, 966 Israelis entered through the Moroccan Gate alongside Israeli police, with religious rituals and communal singing reported in the mosque’s courtyards.
Palestinian Muslim entry restrictions remained in place as the visits continued, Palestine’s Wafa news agency reported, citing the Jerusalem governorate.
The Jewish holiday season began with Rosh Hashanah on September 12 and 13, followed by Yom Kippur on September 21 and 22. Sukkot runs until October 2, with Simchat Torah due to be observed on October 3.
