Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli occupation authorities closed Al-Maghariba Gate (Dung Gate) after 1,500 settlers stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on the second day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The Jerusalem Governorate reported that 1,500 settlers entered Al-Aqsa Mosque in successive groups through Al-Maghariba Gate, under heavy protection from occupation police.
Settlers performed Talmudic rituals and prayers in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, particularly near Al-Qattanin Gate, one of the mosque's entrances, while so-called "plant offerings" were brought into the courtyards.
Occupation forces also forced the owners of several shops in Al-Qattanin Market, which leads to Al-Aqsa Mosque, to close their businesses, while settlers performed Talmudic rituals inside the market amid tightened restrictions on the movement of citizens in the Old City.
Settlers also performed prayers outside Al-Hutta Gate, one of the external gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as the incursions and rituals continued for the second day of Sukkot.
The incursions took place amid intensified military measures by the occupation authorities in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City, as well as restrictions on the entry and movement of worshipers. The measures are part of an attempt to create new realities and alter the existing historical and legal status quo, with the aim of cementing control over the site and enforcing its temporal and spatial division.
