
Israel Allows Largest Ever Group Of Jews To Pray At Al-Aqsa Mosque
They were seen entering the site, referred to as Temple Mount in Judaism, flanked by Israeli security services. The move marks a departure from Israel's previous policy of allowing no more than 30 Jewish Israelis at a time into the site, which was conquered by Israel in the 1967 war and is recognized as occupied territory internationally.
The Islamic Waqf, the organization that administers Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Middle East Eye that 1,200 Jewish Israelis entered on Wednesday. More than 4,000 have stormed the Muslim holy site since the Passover holiday began last weekend.
Israeli police said that 'officers safeguarded visits to the Temple Mount in accordance with visitation regulations and group size limitations, which are determined by circumstances such as overall visitor numbers and the police's ability to ensure public safety and order'.
Thousands of Jewish worshippers could be seen dancing and celebrating at the Lions' Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. Muslim worshippers were prevented from entering the mosque.
Aouni Bazbaz, director of international affairs at the Waqf, told MEE that the scenes on Wednesday – and in the previous days – had been unprecedented. 'These are frightening scenes,' he said.
Bazbaz added that the total of settlers who entered the site in 2003 stood at 258, while 'the numbers have risen exponentially' today, with thousands making their way into the complex. 'Today [as the Islamic Waqf], we will be dealing with something we have never ever dealt with before,' he said.
A change in status quo?
The Chief Rabbinate of Jerusalem has long declared Jewish worship on Temple Mount forbidden unless worshippers are 'ritually pure', which is believed impossible under modern conditions.
However, many Orthodox Jewish settlers oppose this stance, arguing that preventing them from worshipping there is discriminatory.
Israeli police allowed 180 settlers to pray inside Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, a move condemned by Palestinians as a serious breach of the status quo. pic.twitter.com/C7f6rDRVwV — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) April 16, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said that 'the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change', referring to a 1757 Ottoman decree reaffirming a ban on non-Muslims entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and granting Jews the right to pray at the Western Wall.
However, in recent years, visits by Jewish settlers to the site have become increasingly routine. Some Israeli government members, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have openly called for Jewish prayer to be permitted at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The far-right minister has even been filmed entering the complex on several occasions.
Some Israeli settlers have called for the construction of a Jewish temple modelled after two temples that once stood on the site – a move that some have said would necessitate the destruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the three holiest sites in Islam.
The Temple Mount Administration, a far-right group advocating for the construction of a temple on the site, said on Tuesday that there had been '3,000 worshippers at the Temple Mount in the first three days of Passover'.
⚡️JUST IN:Today's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque for the fifth day by Israeli settlers was the largest since the occupation of Palestine.Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed the performance of Talmudic rituals in Al-Aqsa's courtyards, saying such events have not occurred there in 30 years,… pic.twitter.com/MxAjHA6sHa — Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) April 17, 2025
Bazbaz warned that the division of Al-Aqsa Mosque was increasingly becoming a reality. He compared it to the situation at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, which has been divided into a mosque and a synagogue – both under Israeli control.
'Let's use the media phrase for what is happening: apartheid or segregation has become a historical and current reality on the ground,' he said. Bazbaz added that the situation had worsened since the start of the war in Gaza, with Jewish religious practices on Al-Aqsa Mosque being encouraged and even backed by the authorities.
'What happened today was more of a move to cause outrage rather than for religious purposes,' he said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Tribune
15 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Saudi Arabia Takes Lead in Global Push for Palestinian Statehood
Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing peace in the Middle East, with Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan announcing the Kingdom's co-chairing of a major international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict this week in New York, alongside France. Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Prince Faisal said the Kingdom's role reflects its long-standing support for Palestinian rights and the pursuit of a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution. 'Under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom continues to work tirelessly to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and the violence caused by decades of occupation,' he said. The upcoming ministerial-level conference at the United Nations headquarters seeks to accelerate the implementation of key UN resolutions and pave the way for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Saudi-French initiative follows the September 2024 launch of the International Coalition for the Two-State Solution, led by Saudi Arabia, Norway, and the European Union. Prince Faisal also emphasized that the initiative aligns with the efforts of the joint Arab-Islamic ministerial committee, aimed at securing Palestinian statehood and fostering long-term peace and security in the region.


Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Rocket Fired from Gaza into Israel
Tensions flared again on Saturday as the Israeli military reported that a projectile was launched from the southern Gaza Strip towards Israel. According to the military, the object—believed to be a rocket—landed in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. 'A projectile was identified crossing from the southern part of Gaza. It most likely fell in an open field,' the army said in a brief statement. The incident marks another reminder of the ongoing volatility along the Gaza-Israel border. While no retaliatory actions were immediately announced, such events often raise concerns of potential escalation.


Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Trump: Hamas Will Be "Hunted Down" After "Disappointing" Doha Talks Fail To Release Hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recalled his negotiating team from Qatar as Gaza ceasefire talks have floundered. There were never high expectations, except perhaps in some White House public statements, and another potential chance to free the remaining hostages has come and gone. President Trump on Friday expressed 'disappointment' that the remaining living and deceased captives will not be returned after the talks once again broke down. Trump was asked by reporters before departing for Scotland about the possibility of speaking to Netanyahu or pressuring him over humanitarian aid, as widespread reports say hundreds of Palestinian deaths are happening due to rising hunger in the Gaza Strip. 'I speak to him, but I can't tell you what I speak to him about,' Trump responded. 'I told you when you get down to those last 20 hostages… It's going to be very hard for Hamas to make a deal because they lose their shield, they lose their cover. We got a lot of them out.' The statements came close to appearing to accept that no other hostages will be released. 'It's sort of disappointing,' Trump acknowledged. Earlier this month the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced an expansion of ground operations in Gaza, and into the central part of the Strip. This also comes as scores of Palestinians are killed daily, with in some instances shootings happening while large groups rush aid stations. It has long been clear that Netanyahu is seeking a final military solution, and wants the total eradication of Hamas. But hostage victims' families are outraged, and have been demonstrating in Tel Aviv almost daily. Trump further commented on the $30 million that the US recently allocated to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: 'We hope the money gets there because that money gets taken, the food gets taken,' Trump says, adding that the US will still give more money. He claims that the majority of aid for Gaza comes from the US and that 'no other country other than us gives anything.' Ultimately, Trump's fresh comments appear to back Netanyahu in his goal of the total military defeat of Hamas. He underscored the Israelis 'are gonna have to fight and they are gonna have to clean it up — you will have to get rid [of Hamas].' 'Now they are going to be hunted down,' Trump then declared, in one of the firmest statements to date backing the Netanyahu war-time strategy. Trump on Gaza: "Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die … they're gonna have to finish the job … they're gonna have to fight and they're gonna have to clean it up. You're gonna have to get rid of it." — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 25, 2025 But something which has gone largely under-reported is the IDF has suffered a steady trickle of casualties on a weekly basis. There are likely still thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of Hamas and Islamic Jihad insurgents operating from the miles of tunnels underneath Gaza. They can ambush Israeli patrols in small teams, as has been amply documented in harrowing battlefield videos showing tanks and armored carriers blown up.