How did the Sukkot holiday pass at Al-Aqsa Mosque?
Over the course of the Sukkot holiday, which began last Tuesday, the Old City of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed widespread incursions by thousands of settlers. Tens of thousands also invaded the Al-Buraq Wall and its surrounding areas, particularly the Umayyad Palaces and Jaffa Gate, where prayers, marches, and various celebrations were held for this holiday.
Occupation forces were heavily deployed at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the streets and alleys of the Old City. They were also deployed outside the walls in the areas leading to the Al-Buraq Wall and Dung Gate. On several occasions, Israeli forces closed major streets such as Lions Gate, al-Turbah, Wadi Hilweh, and Dung Gate, allowing only buses and vehicles carrying settlers to reach the Al-Buraq Wall for prayers. They also closed some major intersections in the town of Silwan, which is close to Al-Aqsa from the south.
During the period of incursions extending from last Tuesday until the following Tuesday, during the Sukkot holiday and the "Joy of the Torah," 7,474 extremist settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Dung Gate, whose keys have been controlled by the occupation authorities since the occupation of Jerusalem. The incursions occurred during two daily periods: morning and afternoon, as part of the daily incursions program, excluding Fridays and Saturdays.
The numbers of settlers that stormed Al-Aqsa during the Sukkot holiday were as follows:
• Tuesday: 537
• Wednesday: 1,758
• Thursday: 1,765
• Sunday: 2,205
• Monday: 854
• Tuesday: 355
The raids included senior rabbis and officials from the so-called "Temple" organizations, as well as members of Knesset and ministers from the extreme Israeli right.
On the second day of the holiday, and on the "Joy of the Torah" day, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, accompanied by a large force of Israeli police. During the holiday, Knesset members Yitzhak Krozor, Zvi Sukkot (from the Religious Zionism Party), and Amit Halevy (from the Likud Party) also stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Knesset members performed prayers inside the mosque.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center noted that Ben-Gvir has repeatedly raided Al-Aqsa since assuming his position, recording 13 raids since 2023.
During the Sukkot holiday, settlers performed special prayers for Israeli prisoners and soldiers in the Gaza Strip, along with collective and public prayers that included prostration, singing, and clapping. Most of the rituals were concentrated in the eastern area near the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall.
The plant offerings specific to the holiday—citron, myrtle, willow, and palm frond buds—were also presented, and prayers were held several times inside the Al-Aqsa courtyards.
The incursions included singing rituals and group dancing during the procession inside the courtyards, and the sounds of singing and chanting filled the Al-Aqsa compound.
The settlers proceeded along the usual route for their incursions: from the Dung Gate, passing through the courtyards of the Al-Qibli and Al-Marwani prayer halls, the eastern area, and the northern and western arcades, then exiting through the Al-Silsileh Gate. During the procession, explanations were given about the alleged "Temple," and various prayers were performed.
The groups repeatedly stopped at various locations overlooking the Dome of the Rock to perform prayers. Each group numbered between 170 and 200 settlers, with the occupation police allowing a new group to enter every 10 minutes, with six groups entering Al-Aqsa simultaneously.
In contrast, the occupation authorities imposed strict restrictions on the entry of Muslims to Al-Aqsa Mosque. Young men and women were barred from entering during the raids and were asked to return after 3:00 PM. The IDs of elderly people were confiscated and they were searched at the gates. Restrictions were imposed on worshippers' seating areas, preventing them from sitting or walking along the route of the raids.
As for the collective marches and prayers of settlers at the outer gates of Al-Aqsa, they began in the morning hours from the direction of al-Qattanin Gate– one of the gates of Al-Aqsa – and proceeded along Al-Wad Street toward Lions Gate, passing through the Al-Ghawanmeh, King Faisal, and Hutta gates. Continuous individual prayers were held at the gates of Al-Aqsa throughout the day, carrying plant offerings and flags of the alleged "Temple."
At the Al-Buraq Wall, daily prayers were held and plant offerings were raised during the days of the holiday.
