Hundreds of Israelis enter Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during Sukkot amid access restrictions

Hundreds of Israelis entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on the fifth day of Sukkot, according to the supplied report. The visits took place under police protection and came during a period of heightened tension at one of the most sensitive religious sites in the city. Palestinian Muslim access remained restricted during the holiday period, the report said.

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Jerusalem's Islamic Waqf Department said about 700 Israelis entered the compound on Wednesday, including former lawmaker Moshe Feiglin. The report said some participants performed Jewish religious rituals and sang inside the compound, which it described as a violation of the long-standing status quo. Israeli authorities also closed roads leading to the Lions' Gate area and to al-Turba Road, which leads to Silwan, to facilitate access to the Western Wall.

The compound, also known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is administered by the Waqf under the historical status quo arrangement. Under that framework, the site is treated as a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, while Jewish visits have long been a source of dispute. The report said the latest entry followed repeated incursions during the Jewish holiday period, including 966 Israelis who entered on Tuesday through the Moroccan Gate with police escort.

The timing matters because the holiday season has repeatedly coincided with increased activity at the compound. The report said the Jewish New Year was observed on September 12 and 13, followed by Yom Kippur on September 21 and 22, with Sukkot running from September 26 to October 2. Simchat Torah is due to follow on October 3, meaning the period of heightened sensitivity at the site is not yet over.

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The compound sits at the centre of wider political and religious tensions in Jerusalem. Any change in access patterns or ritual practice there is closely watched by Palestinians, Israeli authorities and religious officials because of the site's symbolic importance. The report frames the latest entry as part of a broader pattern of holiday-period visits that have intensified since the start of the Jewish holidays earlier this month.

What remains unclear from the report is whether there were any arrests, injuries or direct confrontations during Wednesday's entry. It is also not clear whether the restrictions on Palestinian Muslim access will change before the end of Sukkot. The next developments to watch are whether further mass visits take place before the holiday period ends and whether officials issue any new statements on the status quo at the compound.

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