More than 5,200 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem during August, amid heightened military operations, arrests, and property demolitions across the city, according to a monthly report released Tuesday by the Jerusalem Governorate.
The report detailed consistent incursions into the holy site throughout August under the active protection of Israeli police, with non-Muslim religious rituals performed inside the courtyards and around the gates. The governorate documented a total of 5,209 incursions over the month, featuring a single-day peak on August 13 when 751 Israeli visitors entered the grounds. During the same timeframe, Israeli authorities issued five administrative orders barring Palestinian citizens from accessing the compound.
The Islamic Waqf Department, which manages the site, reiterated its position that the Al-Aqsa compound remains an exclusively Islamic holy site, demanding a complete end to external incursions.
Beyond the compound, the governorate recorded wide-ranging security operations and military actions in East Jerusalem throughout August:
* Fatalities and Injuries: Two Palestinians were killed and 83 others injured in encounters with Israeli forces.
* Detentions: Security forces detained 114 Palestinians, including five children.
* Settler Attacks: Authorities logged 44 separate attacks targeting Palestinian civilians and private property.
* Demolitions: Officials executed 40 land-clearing and demolition operations against homes and structures, while issuing 86 additional demolition or stop-work orders.
Regional analysts and Israeli media reports link the surge in activity in East Jerusalem to political dynamics ahead of the scheduled October 27 Knesset elections. Observers note that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to consolidate political backing among far-right coalition partners by taking a hardline stance on Jerusalem.
Palestinian officials accuse Israeli authorities of deliberately accelerating measures to alter the demographic, cultural, and legal status of East Jerusalem, which Palestinians maintain as the capital of their envisioned independent state. The operational escalation follows months of heightened raids, detentions, and access restrictions across the occupied West Bank since October 2023.
