A week of violations and rapid changes at Al-Aqsa Mosque: from raising Israeli flags to the Haredi joining the incursions and the harassment of the Islamic Endowment Department
During the week from Sunday to Thursday, the Al-Aqsa Mosque experienced a notable increase in incursions and related activities. This period also saw more public religious rituals and ceremonies within its courtyards, frequent raising of Israeli flags, and ongoing targeting of Islamic Endowment employees and mosque guards.
1,505 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa in five days
Incursions restarted on Sunday following a pause for Eid al-Adha, amid broad calls from extremist Temple Mount groups for participation. Over five days, 1,505 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the morning and afternoon incursion periods.
A significant event this week was Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel storming Al-Aqsa Mosque, where she carried out religious rituals within its courtyards. This highlights the ongoing involvement of Israeli government officials and politicians in such incursions.
Raising Israeli flags at Al-Aqsa: A recurring scene
Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed an unprecedented development: Israeli flags were raised inside the mosque three times in one week. On the first day of the resumption of incursions, settlers collectively raised seven Israeli flags inside the mosque. A video showed about ten settlers stopping at one of the arcades leading to the roof of the Dome of the Rock in the western courtyard, then unfurling the flags, raising them, and singing the Israeli national anthem, all under the direct protection of Israeli police and special forces. Individual flag-raising incidents were repeated in the following days.
This escalation comes weeks after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir raised the Israeli flag inside Al-Aqsa Mosque during his incursion on what is called "Jerusalem Day" and made statements about Israeli "sovereignty" over the site. The extremist “Temple” groups considered this move an announcement of a change in official policy regarding raising flags inside Al-Aqsa, noting that this was reflected on the ground through the reversal of penalties and expulsions previously imposed on settlers who carry out these acts. After this week’s mass raising of flags, these groups sent public messages of thanks to Ben-Gvir through their various platforms.
Haredi groups join incursions
In a move marked as "historic" by Temple Mount groups, Rabbi Dov Kook’s Haredi community from Tiberias took part in a large-scale incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday. The group consisted of rabbis, Kook's family members, and followers. They conducted public prayers inside the mosque, claiming these were for the healing of their spiritual leader, following what they referred to as "purification rituals."
This move is significant because it signals a break from the traditional religious stance common among large parts of the Haredi community, which has historically forbidden entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Experts believe that the involvement of this widespread religious and demographic group in the incursions could mark a new phase in increasing Jewish presence in the mosque. This shift supports efforts to establish Jewish prayers and rituals there and change the current situation. Groups concerned with the Temple Mount have directly connected this development to their goal of promoting the "return to the Temple Mount" and restoring its rituals.
Police and the expansion of extremist religious presence at Al-Aqsa
In a related development, Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, reported a trend among the Israeli police to recruit settlers and extremist religious figures into units operating around the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The paper noted that the deputy commander of the unit responsible for the mosque posted online calls to recruit "religious officers" for the site. This situation raises concerns about the growing influence of nationalist and extremist religious groups on the police presence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Persecution of Islamic Endowment Employees
Meanwhile, the harassment of Islamic Endowment Department employees and Al-Aqsa Mosque guards persisted. The occupation authorities extended the administrative detention of Mahdi al-Abbasi and Abdul Rahman al-Sharif for four more months, just hours before their scheduled release after their initial detention period ended. This action is part of a continuous policy aimed at Endowment employees, limiting their ability to carry out their duties within the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli occupation forces also detained Khalil al-Tarhouni, a guard at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while he was at a health center in the Old City, allegedly for violating his ban from the mosque. After prolonging his detention by one day, the court released him on the condition that his ban from the mosque be extended for another four months until the end of the year, along with paying bail.
Al-Tarhouni was banned from the Al-Aqsa Mosque last February. The ban was initially scheduled to end in August but was later extended until the end of the year.
The incidents in the mosque's courtyards over the past week highlight the ongoing rapid changes that have been happening for years. These include the growth of public rituals, increased display of Israeli flags, and the recruitment of new religious groups to join incursions. Meanwhile, restrictions on Islamic Endowment employees and Al-Aqsa Mosque guards continue.
