Al-Aqsa Compound Tensions
Israeli Settlers Enter Al-Aqsa Compound Amid Growing Status Quo Tensions
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Key Points
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The Israeli group Beyadenu said settlers entered the compound on 68,944 occasions between September 2025 and September 2026, despite 134 days of closures linked to Saturdays, Muslim holidays and security measures. September was the busiest month, with 12,778 entries, while 4,288 settlers entered on Tisha B’Av alone.
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Beyadenu said the compound has increasingly been used for Jewish celebrations, including weddings and bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies, and called for restrictions on Jewish access to be lifted and the site to be opened more fully to Jewish visitors.
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A Public Committee for Opening the Temple Mount on Saturdays petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to allow settler entry on Saturdays; National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir separately wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 3 describing such access as a basic right.
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The Al-Quds governorate said Israeli forces confiscated identification cards from some young Muslim men and women, imposed age restrictions at the gates and restricted journalists’ work inside the courtyards during the incursions.
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Palestinian religious authorities said the alleged violations had expanded beyond entry during designated visiting hours to include collective Torah readings, prayers and other religious rites inside the compound; the Jewish holiday season was reported to run from Rosh Hashanah on September 12 through Yom Kippur and Sukkot in early October.
Hundreds of Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday season around Yom Kippur, performing prayers and Talmudic rituals under Israeli police protection. Middle East Eye reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined thousands of Israelis at the Western Wall plaza, marking a significant show of presence at the contested religious site.
Palestinian officials accused Israeli forces of restricting Muslim worshippers' access, confiscating identity documents, and imposing age limits at the gates. The activity reflects growing pressure from Israeli settler groups and government officials to expand Jewish access to the compound, a move that Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim leaders warn could upend decades-old arrangements governing the site.
Record-Breaking Year of Settler Entries at Compound
Israeli data shows an unprecedented surge in settler visits. IJR reported that Beyadenu, an Israeli group tracking entries, documented nearly 69,000 settler visits to the compound between September 2025 and September 2026. September 2026 was the busiest month, with 12,778 entries, while 4,288 settlers alone entered on Tisha B'Av, a major Jewish observance day.
These visits occurred despite 134 closure days tied to Saturdays, Muslim holidays, and security measures. The figures represent the highest annual total since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, signaling a dramatic shift in how frequently Jewish religious observances occur at the site.
Calls for Permanent Saturday Access Gain Political Traction
A public committee petitioned Israel's Supreme Court to allow settler entry on Saturdays, when the compound is typically closed to Jewish visitors. JNS reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote to Prime Minister Netanyahu in September, calling such access a basic right and signaling strong political backing for expanded Jewish presence.
Ben-Gvir's push challenges the status quo established after Israel's 1967 occupation, when Jewish prayer at the site was largely restricted to preserve the site's Muslim character. His support for regular Saturday visits signals growing willingness by Israeli officials to alter longstanding arrangements.
Jewish Ceremonies Now Held Inside Compound
Beyond individual visits, Israeli groups report using the compound for major Jewish celebrations. Middle East Monitor documented that the site now hosts weddings, bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies, and collective Torah readings. Beyadenu has called for lifting all restrictions on Jewish access to fully open the compound to Jewish religious practice.
Palestinian authorities say these activities violate the site's historic status. They accuse Israeli forces of confiscating identification documents from Muslim worshippers, enforcing age restrictions, and blocking journalists from recording the incidents during the high holiday season from mid-September through early October.
Palestinian Officials Warn of Threat to Historic Compromise
The Al-Quds governorate and Palestinian religious authorities reject the expanding Jewish presence as a violation of arrangements that have governed the compound for decades. They argue the shift from designated visiting hours to organized religious ceremonies fundamentally alters the site's character and Muslim control.
The contested site remains one of the Middle East's most sensitive flashpoints. Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim leaders have warned that continued incursions and calls for permanent access threaten the delicate status quo and could escalate tensions across the region.
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