Hundreds of Israeli visitors entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday morning to mark the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, according to an official of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.
The Waqf official, who spoke anonymously to Anadolu, said hundreds entered the compound under the protection of Israeli police.
According to the official, some of those who entered carried out religious rituals, prayers, dancing and singing, which the Waqf considers violations of the established status quo governing the holy site.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound covers approximately 144 dunams, equivalent to about 35.6 acres. Under the historical arrangements that existed before Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Endowments, administers the compound as a Muslim place of worship.
Increased Entries During Jewish Holidays
The latest entry comes amid increased visits to the compound during the current Jewish holiday period.
Sukkot began Saturday and is scheduled to continue through Friday. Israeli right-wing groups had called for large-scale entries into the Al-Aqsa compound during the holiday.
Figures previously released by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf indicated that more than 1,500 Israeli visitors entered the compound Sunday, followed by more than 1,700 on Monday and over 1,400 on Tuesday.
The Waqf has reported that such entries have intensified during the Jewish holiday season, with Israeli security forces providing protection and imposing additional security measures in and around Jerusalem.
The current holiday period follows the Jewish New Year, observed on Sept. 12 and 13, and Yom Kippur on Sept. 21 and 22. Sukkot runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, followed by Simchat Torah on Oct. 3.
Dispute Over the Status Quo
The management and access arrangements at Al-Aqsa remain a sensitive and longstanding issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since 2003, Israeli police have permitted Israeli visitors to enter the compound through the Mughrabi Gate, near the Western Wall, with police officers accompanying them.
The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf has repeatedly called for an end to such entries, particularly when they involve religious rituals, saying they violate the established arrangements governing the site.
Israeli authorities have not accepted those calls.
Palestinians and Jordanian authorities have repeatedly expressed concern that increased visits, particularly by groups performing religious rituals, could alter the existing arrangements governing the compound.
Competing Claims Over Jerusalem
The dispute over Al-Aqsa is part of the broader conflict over the status of Jerusalem.
Palestinians regard East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state and oppose Israel's control and annexation of the area.
Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it in 1980, a move that is not recognized by much of the international community.
Palestinian officials and groups have accused Israel of pursuing policies aimed at changing the character and identity of occupied East Jerusalem, including the area surrounding Al-Aqsa.
Israeli authorities and groups visiting the compound have disputed Palestinian characterizations of their activities, while the question of access, religious practice and administration at the site remains a major source of tension.
The latest entries during Sukkot have therefore added to concerns surrounding the status quo at one of the most sensitive religious sites in Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf continues to call for the established arrangements governing Al-Aqsa to be maintained, while Israeli security forces continue to facilitate visits during designated periods.
The developments come as tensions surrounding Jerusalem remain closely linked to the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the competing claims over the city's political, religious and historical status.
