Hundreds of Israelis storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jewish New Year

Hundreds of ultranationalist Israelis stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, coinciding with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Groups of settlers entered the mosque complex under the protection of heavily armed Israeli forces. 

They openly performed Jewish prayers and religious rituals at the site. They also sang and danced. 

These actions violate longstanding international agreements - known as the status quo - which designate Al-Aqsa Mosque as an exclusively Islamic site, where only Muslims are permitted to worship.

Israeli incursions into the mosque complex have become a near-daily occurrence. 

However, the number of raids tends to increase significantly during Jewish and national holidays.

Beyadenu – Returning to the Temple Mount, an Israeli group that organises many of these incursions, had called on its supporters to carry out mass raids between 22 and 24 September in an effort to break records for the number of settlers entering the site. 

Ultranationalist so-called Temple Mount groups reported that 58,310 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque over the course of the past Hebrew year (5,785), marking a 14 percent increase compared to the previous year, and a fivefold increase compared to a decade ago.

Temple Mount groups advocate for the destruction of al-Aqsa Mosque to build a third Jewish temple in its place. 

Before Tuesday’s raids, Israeli forces tightened movement restrictions on Palestinians in the city, including limiting access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.