Itamar Ben Gvir Leads Thousands of Settlers Into Al-Aqsa Compound

Between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, July 23, 2026, Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's National Security Minister, led an incursion of between 1,300 and 3,200 Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem. Accompanied by Likud lawmaker Amit Halevi, the group entered the site to mark Tisha B’Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the ancient Jewish temples. Participants raised the Israeli flag and performed Talmudic rituals, including wearing tefillin and collective prayer.

These actions violated the long-standing status quo arrangement between Israel and Jordan, which permits Jewish visits but prohibits non-Muslim prayer to ensure uninterrupted worship. Israeli police facilitated the entries in groups of 150 while restricting Palestinian worshippers' access and assaulting several individuals attempting to attend dawn prayers. In a video, Ben Gvir asserted that Jews praying at the site feel like the "rightful owners" and that Israel is the "sovereign authority."

The Palestinian presidency, the Government of Jordan, and Hamas condemned the incursions as a dangerous escalation and a desecration of the mosque's sanctity. Jordanian officials described the events as a barbaric act and unacceptable provocation. While Ben Gvir has entered the site more than a dozen times since taking office, the Cabinet of Israel maintains that its official policy on the status quo remains unchanged.