In a provocative display of extremism, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, flanked by over 1,300 settlers, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday morning. The incursion, which took place under heavy police protection, coincided with Israel’s “Destruction of the Temple” commemoration.
Groups of Israeli settler fanatics are waiting for their rurn to break into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem to mark the so-called anniversary of the “destruction of the Temple.” pic.twitter.com/3J6HBrqKU0
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 3, 2025
The raid came in response to calls from so-called “Temple” organizations, which called for a large-scale incursion into the mosque, marking it as a “day of renewal” to build the alleged “Temple” on the ruins of Al-Aqsa. This is an annual escalation during which these groups have traditionally broken records in the number of intruders.
Hardcore Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir leads a group of Israeli settlers publicly performing Jewish rituals and prayers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/Y4g9ndZsMt
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 3, 2025
Jerusalem sources reported that Ben-Gvir and the settlers organized provocative tours of the mosque’s courtyards and performed public Talmudic rituals, including the “priestly blessings” and the “epic prostration,” particularly in the eastern area. This was accompanied by singing and chanting inside the western and eastern courtyards of the mosque, a blatant violation of the sanctity of the site.
Israeli setter fanatics perform provocative Jewish rituals inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, the third holiest place of worship in Islam. pic.twitter.com/BShfwHP2L2
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 3, 2025
Sources indicated that the occupation police prevented Palestinians from entering the mosque during the raid and tightened security measures around the Old City. The raid hours were extended until 3:00 PM, which portends a surge in the number of intruders and unprecedented provocations.
The raid was preceded by a night march led by Ben-Gvir after midnight, during which he roamed the alleys of the Old City of occupied Jerusalem accompanied by extremist settlers, in a scene described as provocative in preparation for Sunday’s raids.
In his remarks at the march, Ben-Gvir said, “We are not content with mourning. We are thinking about building the Temple and imposing sovereignty, and we will do so in Gaza as we have done elsewhere,” hinting at Israeli intentions to impose political and religious facts on the ground by force.
Ultranationalist Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, breaks into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, the third holiest Muslim place of worship, under heavy police cover. pic.twitter.com/MbuSoQXqny
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 3, 2025
In this context, “Temple” organizations set up umbrellas in the lower courtyard leading to the Mughrabi Gate to secure the reception of the crowds. They also published provocative posters, including a drawing depicting the “Temple” in place of Al-Aqsa Mosque, surrounded by occupation soldiers, with the slogan “Complete victory on the Temple Mount has not yet been achieved,” reflecting the colonialist rhetoric adopted by these organizations.
In contrast, religious and national institutions and bodies in Jerusalem called on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the occupied territories, and other areas of the West Bank to flock to Al-Aqsa Mosque and confront settler incursions.
This latest raid underscores a systematic escalation by the Israeli occupation authorities and settler groups, in ongoing attempts to alter its religious and historical reality and impose a temporal and spatial division similar to what occurred at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.
Source: Agencies and Palestinian media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)
