537 settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first day of Sukkot
Dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday, the first day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The number of settlers during the morning and afternoon incursion periods reached 537. This coincides with extremist Temple organizations calling for widespread raids with mass participation during the week-long Sukkot holiday.
The settlers performed collective and public rituals inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, chanting prayers and religious hymns, and forming circles of dancing, singing, and clapping throughout Al-Aqsa. The settlers were protected by Israeli occupation forces, who kept Palestinian worshippers away from the route of the raids.
The raids were accompanied by extensive security measures and the deployment of special forces in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinian worshippers were excluded and their entry to the mosque was restricted during the two incursion periods. In an official statement published by the Temple organizations, the occupation police announced measures to facilitate the raids, including:
• Allowing a group of intruders to enter every 10 minutes.
• Allowing six groups of intruders to be present inside Al-Aqsa Mosque at one time.
• Describing the intruding settlers as "pilgrims," in an attempt to give their incursions a pseudo-legitimacy.
According to the official times for the raids, which extend from 7:00 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., the daily raids last for a full six hours.
Meanwhile, extremist "Temple" groups continued their calls, through their various platforms, to participate in raids on Al-Aqsa during the Sukkot holiday, to offer plant offerings there—the four plants (citron, myrtle, willow, and palm frond buds)—specific to the Sukkot holiday, and to perform prayers at the Al-Buraq Wall.
Settlers also marched to the outer gates of Al-Aqsa, carrying plant offerings and performing prayers.
