Yom Kippur in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque: Strict closure and widespread raids
From Wednesday afternoon until Thursday evening, the city of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed strict measures and widespread raids coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which began at sunset on Wednesday until sunset on Thursday.
Al-Aqsa Raid
547 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on the eve of the holiday, during the morning and afternoon incursion periods. On Thursday, 414 settlers stormed through the Dung Gate under the protection of occupation forces.
This brings the total number of raiders over the two days to 919.
The settlers carried out their raids into Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Dung Gate, whose keys have been controlled by the occupation authorities since the occupation of Jerusalem, in two shifts: morning and afternoon. The intruders, led by senior rabbis, performed special holiday rituals and prayers, including the recitation of religious texts, dancing and singing, and clapping and whistling within the mosque courtyards. They wore religious garb during the raid.
On Thursday evening, occupation forces prevented dozens of Palestinians from entering through the Lions Gate, forcing worshippers and young men to perform the Maghreb prayer on the doorsteps of the mosque outside the gate.
A suffocating closure of Jerusalem
From Wednesday afternoon until Thursday evening, the occupation authorities imposed a comprehensive closure on Jerusalem, transforming the city into an "open-air prison" for 27 consecutive hours, a measure that is repeated annually.
The forces blocked roads and main intersections with concrete blocks and iron barriers, especially at the entrances to Israeli settlements or the streets used by settlers. Bridges and tunnels were also closed, forcing residents of villages and towns to take long detours, isolating Jerusalem's neighborhoods from one another.
Paralysis of daily life
These measures led to a near-total disruption of daily life in the city. Educational activities were disrupted, school schedules were disrupted, government institutions and departments closed, and commercial activity was paralyzed in most neighborhoods and markets, amid an atmosphere of isolation and closure that imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Jerusalemites.
Clashes and arrests
In the village of Issawiya, occupation forces positioned themselves at the village’s main entrance while removing the concrete blocks on Thursday evening. They fired tear gas canisters at residents before arresting two children: Wadi’ Samer Obeid and Watan Wahib Alayan.
