Settlers storm Al-Aqsa compound as Israel lifts ban
Thousands return to pray after 40-day closure, as Israeli forces tighten control and permit settler incursions at holy site
JERUSALEM, Palestine (MNTV) — Thousands of Palestinian worshippers returned to the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday after Israel lifted a sweeping 40-day closure, even as authorities intensified security measures and allowed Israeli settlers to storm the compound under armed protection.
Verified footage showed Palestinians streaming through the mosque’s gates at dawn, with around 3,000 people attending morning prayers in one of Islam’s holiest sites after weeks of near-total exclusion.
The reopening follows a prolonged shutdown imposed by Israeli authorities after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, during which access to Al-Aqsa and other religious sites in occupied East Jerusalem was either completely banned or severely restricted to only a handful of worshippers.
The Islamic Waqf Department, the Jordanian-administered body overseeing the site, confirmed that the mosque would reopen to all worshippers from early morning, though Israeli authorities did not clarify the conditions behind the decision.
Preparations for reopening were visible earlier, as caretakers and volunteers cleaned courtyards and prayer areas in anticipation of returning worshippers.
Israeli officials claimed the move followed updated instructions from military authorities, while deploying hundreds of police officers and border guards throughout Jerusalem’s Old City and surrounding roads—an overwhelming security presence critics say reflects continued control rather than genuine freedom of worship.
Despite the reopening, tensions escalated within hours as Israeli settlers entered the compound and performed Talmudic rituals under police protection, according to Palestinian sources.
Authorities also expanded the time windows for such incursions, allowing settlers extended access from early morning through midday and again in the afternoon—moves widely condemned as systematic encroachments on Muslim religious rights.
Palestinian religious authorities sharply denounced the actions. Mahmoud al-Habbash, a senior religious official, described the incursions as a “flagrant violation” of the historic and legal status of the site, warning that such actions risk igniting wider religious conflict.
He added that extending settler access effectively restricts Muslim worshippers, undermining their ability to freely practice their faith at the compound.
The closure and subsequent reopening come amid broader restrictions across Jerusalem’s holy sites during weeks of regional conflict. Major religious observances—including Ramadan, Lent and Passover—were heavily curtailed, affecting Muslims, Christians and Jews alike.
Notably, Israeli authorities prevented Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa this year—marking the first such prohibition since Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, a move widely viewed as unprecedented and deeply provocative.
The easing of restrictions now coincides with preparations for Orthodox Easter, which will be observed in Jerusalem this weekend.
Violence in occupied territory
However, the situation across the occupied Palestinian territories remains volatile. Israeli military raids have continued across the West Bank, with arrests, assaults and deadly force reported.
In Nablus, Israeli forces detained a woman and assaulted a man during a raid, while in the northern West Bank village of Tayasir, a 28-year-old Palestinian man, Alaa Khaled Mohammed Sbeih, was shot and killed. Israeli forces claimed he had been throwing stones, a justification frequently disputed by Palestinian authorities and rights groups.
Additional raids in Tayasir led to the detention of six young men, while in Yabad, near Jenin, Israeli troops stormed homes and destroyed property. Other incursions were reported in Qusra and Awarta.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since October 2023, with at least 10,000 forcibly displaced.
These developments unfold alongside Israel’s ongoing military campaigns in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, reinforcing what critics describe as a pattern of escalating aggression and systematic violations of international law—now extending even into the management of sacred religious spaces.
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