Particle.news
Download on the App Store
24 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Israeli Ministers and Thousands of Settlers Enter Al‑Aqsa Compound During Tisha B’Av

Regional governments say the police‑escorted incursions breach the decades‑old status quo and risk wider religious and diplomatic escalation.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visits the Al-Aqsa Mosque, during the holy day Tisha B'Av, a day of fasting and lament, that commemorates the date in the Jewish calendar on which it is believed the First and Second Temples were destroyed, in Jerusalem's Old City, July 23, 2026 in this still image obtained from handout video. Itamar Ben Gvir via Telegram/via REUTERS
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Thousands of Israeli far‑right activists and settler visitors entered the Al‑Aqsa/Temple Mount compound under heavy police protection on Thursday, July 23, during the Jewish fast of Tisha B’Av.
  • National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir and other Israeli officials joined the visits, and police reportedly allowed much larger groups than usual and permitted Jewish prayer and flag displays inside the compound.
  • Palestinian authorities and the Jerusalem Waqf say Israeli security tightened checkpoints, barred many Muslim worshippers from entering for dawn prayers, and that several worshippers were assaulted at gate areas.
  • Foreign ministers of eight Arab and Muslim‑majority states issued a joint condemnation calling the incursions illegal, saying they violate international law and the historic custodial arrangements that place the Waqf in charge of internal administration.
  • The events deepen long‑running concerns about erosion of the post‑1967 status quo at the 144‑dunam site and raise the risk of further confrontations during Friday prayers and broader diplomatic fallout affecting regional stability.