For the 16th time, Ben Gvir storms Al-Aqsa Mosque and performs prayers and chants publicly opposite the Dome of the Rock
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, along with dozens of settlers, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday via the Dung Gate, whose keys have been held by the Israeli occupation authorities since they occupied Jerusalem.
The extremist minister, Ben-Gvir, accompanied by a rabbi and heavily guarded by police and his security team, visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where he performed prayers in various locations. In the eastern section, near the Bab al-Rahma prayer area, he prayed on site. At the western portico, he paused opposite the Dome of the Rock and loudly sang religious hymns, including, "When will you reign in Zion?"—a chant expressing hopes for Israeli religious sovereignty over Jerusalem. His chants were met with applause and dancing.
16 incursions since 2023... Ben-Gvir continues to entrench changes at Al-Aqsa
Since taking office in early 2023, Ben-Gvir has repeatedly stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This is the 16th such incursion, as documented by the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, detailed as follows:
• Three incursions in 2023.
• Four incursions in 2024.
• Six incursions in 2025.
• Three incursions in 2026 (one in January, one in April of this year while Al-Aqsa was closed due to the war, and today's incursion)
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center reported that since taking office, Ben-Gvir has introduced numerous cumulative changes within the Al-Aqsa Mosque. These modifications, viewed by groups supporting the so-called "Temple”, are seen as major accomplishments and an unprecedented shift. The measures have notably increased the number of settlers and their religious activities in the mosque, slowly turning it into a space where prayers, chants, and singing occur openly, now protected by police, after such activities were formerly banned or suppressed.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center's monitoring and documentation, these changes were not isolated events but part of a gradual and escalating process that has altered the reality of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in favor of settlers. The area designated for public religious rituals has grown, shifting from sporadic attempts to organized daily practices conducted in different parts of the mosque under police protection.
- In August 2024, Ben-Gvir declared plans to build a synagogue at that site, and it has since become a daily and public prayer spot for settlers.
- In June 2025, prompted by him, Jewish prayers were performed loudly and collectively throughout the Al-Aqsa Mosque, creating an unprecedented scene in its courtyards.
- In January 2026, following Ben-Gvir's orders, police permitted prayer materials to be brought into the Al-Aqsa Mosque. These materials included religious texts and written instructions that displayed slogans of Temple Mount groups, indicating a transition from restricted practices to organized and public rituals within the mosque.
Today, in the morning incursions period, 137 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque, conducting group and public prayers despite restrictions on worshippers and their designated seating areas.
