TEHRAN – Thousands of Israeli settlers, led by the regime’s government minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied al-Quds. 

The incursion coincided with the so-called “anniversary of the destruction of the Temple” and featured Talmudic rituals, chanting, and provocative dancing. These are moves widely condemned by Palestinians as dangerous escalations aimed at changing the status quo of the holy site. 

Ben-Gvir entered the al-Aqsa compound at the head of a large group of settlers. More than 3,000 settlers reportedly participated, entering in successive waves under heavy protection from the Israeli occupation’s security forces. 

In a video message taken during his illegal visit and published on social media, Ben-Gvir said, “Precisely from here, a message must be sent: to ensure that we conquer all of the Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over the entire Gaza Strip, take down every Hamas member, and encourage voluntary migration (of Palestinians from Gaza).”

Many performed collective religious rituals, chanted, and danced loudly in different parts of the courtyards around al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site. 

Among those who participated was Knesset member Amit Halevi, known for advocating the division of the holy site, a move seen by Palestinians as a direct threat to their religious and political rights.

At the same time, Israeli regime forces barred Palestinian worshippers from entering the mosque or even accessing the surrounding Old City through gates near al-Aqsa.

Hours before the mass incursion, Ben-Gvir led a provocative march of settlers through the Old City. Speaking during the march, he made openly defiant remarks, stating: “We are not content with mourning. We are thinking about building the Temple, extending sovereignty, and imposing rule. We have done this in many places, and we will do it in Gaza as well.”

These coordinated incursions were part of a broader campaign organized by so-called “Temple Mount” groups. 

In recent days, these groups have called for turning August 3 into the “largest day of storming al-Aqsa,” fully backed by the current Israeli government’s religious and political agenda.

The al-Quds (Jerusalem) Governorate issued a warning, calling this year’s event “the most dangerous threat to al-Aqsa in years.” 

Officials stressed that the scale and tone of this year’s incursion represent a deliberate attempt to break long-standing religious and legal boundaries governing behavior inside the compound, all with official Israeli backing.

In recent weeks, Ben-Gvir had issued direct orders to Israeli police to allow settlers to sing and dance inside the mosque, a dramatic departure from previous restrictions. 

Suggestions that the Israeli regime would alter rules at the al-Aqsa compound have sparked outrage in the Islamic world and ignited deadly violence in the past. 

A statement by Hamas said what took place “is a continuation of the ongoing aggression against our Palestinian people, their land, and their holy sites, and a blatant provocation to the feelings of Muslims everywhere through the desecration of the First Qibla and the Third Holiest Sanctuary.”

“The conduct of the extremist Zionist government and its war criminal members — from the continuation of massacres, the war of extermination, and starvation against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, to killings and terrorism in the West Bank by the occupation army and settler mobs, and systematic violations in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa through incursions, Judaization attempts, and altering the facts on the ground — is nothing but fuel poured onto the fire in the region.” It added.