Israeli police escort thousands of Jewish settlers into Al-Aqsa courtyard amid Palestinian curbs

During the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, Israeli police allowed roughly 1,500 Jewish settlers to move into the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard in Jerusalem, entering through the Mughrabi Gate before the gate was shut. The settlers conducted prayers, Talmudic rites and laid “plant offerings” near the Cotton Merchants’ Gate, and some gathered for worship outside the Bab Hutta entrance. Simultaneously, authorities imposed strict movement restrictions on Palestinians throughout the Old City.

The Jerusalem Governorate documented that settler incursions into the mosque precinct have totaled 40,661 from January through the end of August. Police presence remained high around the holy site to enforce the curbs. The episode underscores ongoing tensions over access to the contested religious compound.