Sixth day of Sukkot at Al-Aqsa: 1,895 settlers, escalating rituals and prayers, and an expansion of the sites where they are performed
Since the Jewish "Sukkot" incursions began, the Al-Aqsa Mosque has seen a marked increase in the number of settler intruders and a change in the rituals performed in its courtyards. The incursions have also grown longer and expanded in route, with larger groups authorized to enter in succession. Meanwhile, the eastern area and other parts of the mosque have become fixed sites for collective public prayers and rituals.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center-Jerusalem reported that 1,895 settlers entered Al-Aqsa Mosque on the sixth day of the holiday. Of these, 1,195 entered during the morning session (6:30 AM to 11:30 AM) and 700 during the afternoon session (1:30 PM to 3:20 PM). All entered through the Dung Gate, whose keys have been controlled by occupation authorities since the occupation of Jerusalem.
As a result, the total number of settlers who stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque from the beginning of the period through the sixth day of Sukkot reached 9,081, up from 7,474 over the same period last year. The increase is reflected not only in the numbers but also in the nature of the practices accompanying these incursions.
Escalation of the situation inside Al-Aqsa
Over the successive days of the Sukkot holiday, the incursions became a recurring public scene of collective prayer. Settlers prayed and chanted hymns from the moment they entered the mosque until they left, moving among several locations in its courtyards.
The incursions involved groups—some with more than 100 settlers—while, at the same time, four to five groups remained inside the mosque, moving through its courtyards and corridors and performing rituals and prayers in succession.
The eastern area became the main gathering place for collective prayers, speeches, and rituals. Throughout the holiday, settlers repeatedly gathered there for extended periods to pray and sing hymns openly.
These religious displays were no longer limited to the eastern area. Over the past two days, rituals had also spread to the incursion routes themselves. Items associated with the "Four Species" were displayed, while prayers were said and photographs taken at various locations within the mosque.
The Four Species" expand their spatial reach
For the fifth day in a row, the "Four Species" rituals for Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles)—involving the citron, palm fronds, myrtle, and willow—were repeated inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Although these rituals were initially concentrated in the eastern area, over the last two days they have spread to the very routes used for incursions. They included rituals performed while moving between the mosque’s courtyards and porticoes, along with raising ritual items, reciting prayers, and taking photographs.
This expansion shifts ritual practice from a single, limited point to a recurring religious presence across multiple locations in the mosque, creating an escalation of public ritual activity throughout the site.
“Epic Prostration" and "Thanksgiving Offerings"
These displays coincided with an ideological escalation in the rites performed by settler groups. Video footage and documentation circulating from inside the mosque showed participants—including families and children among the intruders—performing what "Temple groups" call "Epic Prostration" (full prostration, lying face-down) toward the Dome of the Rock. They also chanted hymns and psalms collectively, under the protection of occupation police.
The day’s incursions also included extremists and political figures, among them extremist Knesset member Zvi Sukkot. In a speech in the eastern area, he called for so-called "Thanksgiving Offerings"—the slaughter of sacrificial animals and presentation of baked goods—to be performed in the mosque’s courtyards, citing religious pretexts tied to military developments.
These manifestations—alongside collective prayers, the "Four Species" rituals, and prostration—form a comprehensive picture of the intensifying religious nature of these incursions, as well as an attempt to establish specific locations within Al-Aqsa as sites for Jewish worship and ritual.
A Massive "Yemeni Etrog": Breaking new ground in rituals
Among today’s notable scenes during the incursions, platforms linked to Temple groups circulated images of individuals accompanied by a child carrying a massive "Yemeni Etrog" (citron)—a sight rarely seen in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Unlike the standard citron used in Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) rituals, the Yemeni Etrog is notable for its large size. Religious literature among certain Jewish groups also promotes it as an authentic, historic variety.
Bringing in a fruit of this size is part of a series of practices that have gradually expanded at Al-Aqsa. These include the repeated introduction of palm fronds, citrons, and the "Four Species," reflecting an ongoing effort to test the limits set by the occupation police on what is permitted inside the mosque.
Raising the Israeli flag
Today, settlers raised the Israeli flag at Al-Aqsa.
Extended incursions and the "Fast Track"
To allow more settlers to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the afternoon incursion period was extended by about 15 minutes. This enabled groups to continue entering one after another and allowed more people to enter within the allotted time.
Occupation police also designated a "fast track for intruders” from the Dung Gate to the Al-Silsileh Gate, allowing more people to enter during the incursion window. Meanwhile, most intruders followed the full route through the mosque, passing through its arcades and courtyards and performing rituals and prayers at multiple locations along the way—a tactic occupation police used throughout the Sukkot holiday.
Few Muslims and strict entry restrictions
While large, successive groups of settlers were permitted to enter the mosque, strict restrictions on Palestinian entry remained in force from dawn until shortly before the afternoon prayer.
During this period, only a very small number of elderly individuals—those over 60 or 65—were allowed to enter. They could sit only in the covered prayer halls and were barred from areas where settlers were moving.
The eastern area was also cleared entirely of Palestinians to accommodate the settlers, effectively becoming a space reserved for their incursions and rituals during those designated times, while restrictions on Palestinian worshippers inside the mosque remained in place.
From incursions to imposing a comprehensive religious scene
Since the Sukkot holiday began on September 26, developments at Al-Aqsa Mosque have involved more than an increase in the number of people storming the site. In the days that followed, the practices themselves expanded markedly, ranging from public group prayers, hymns, and psalms to the use of prayer books and sheets, “Four Species" rituals, collective prostration, and the raising of the Israeli flag. The locations for these rituals also spread beyond the eastern area to the incursion routes and other spots within the mosque.
Another significant factor was the groups’ size and how long they stayed inside Al-Aqsa. Groups of more than 100 settlers entered, while multiple groups remained inside the mosque at the same time, creating a dense, sustained Jewish presence throughout the incursions.
Taken together, these developments suggest a gradual exploration of new locations and rituals—especially in the eastern area, which became a central hub for prayers, rituals, and speeches during the holiday.
At Al-Buraq Plaza, intense Jewish religious activity continued throughout the Sukkot holiday, as large numbers of settlers flocked to the site to pray and perform rituals. Heavy deployments of occupation police and forces remained in the plaza's vicinity and at its entrances.
