Hundreds of settlers stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday morning under heavy security protection by Israeli occupation forces and police. According to Al Jazeera sources, the settlers entered the mosque from the Moroccan Gate in groups, conducting provocative tours and performing Talmudic rituals. Video clips published by local media showed settlers performing their religious rites collectively in the eastern area of the mosque near the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall. Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police continued tightening control at the mosque’s gates, preventing worshippers from entering to secure the settlers’ incursions during the morning period. On Monday, a Jewish rabbi named Aryeh Cohen blew the shofar during his incursion into Al-Aqsa accompanied by hundreds of settlers, celebrating the beginning of the Hebrew New Year.

Since Monday, thousands of settlers have been gathering at the Western Wall plaza, west of Al-Aqsa Mosque, to perform the so-called “Selichot” prayer, a Jewish penitential prayer usually held during Jewish holidays. The Jewish Western Wall Heritage Foundation announced it would sponsor the Selichot prayer in preparation for the Hebrew New Year, which falls on September 23. In a notable development, the Israeli news site Walla quoted Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as saying he is ready to pay money to build the Temple, during a conference held at the Binyamin Hama synagogue in occupied Jerusalem commemorating the death of Rabbi Abraham Kook. The Jerusalem Governorate commented that these statements come amid escalating Judaization and settlement plans in occupied Jerusalem and carry serious implications regarding the occupation’s efforts to impose new facts on the ground.