The Zionist entity’s so-called National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Wednesday, accompanied by dozens of settlers and protected by heavily armed Israeli occupation police.
According to the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Al-Quds, Ben-Gvir entered the courtyards of the mosque under tight security measures enforced by occupation forces, including special units. It marks his eighth intrusion into the holy site since joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government in 2022.
Israeli Jewish supremacist and hard-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, heavily protected by police, breaks into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, in defiance of the sentiments of millions of Muslims worldwide. pic.twitter.com/AuSLTmFVzk
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 11, 2025
Eyewitnesses and local sources reported that groups of settlers entered the compound from the Moroccan Gate (Bab Al-Maghariba), performed provocative tours. Some were seen performing open Talmudic rituals near the eastern section of the mosque before exiting through the Chain Gate (Bab al-Silsila).
The incursion was led by Ben-Gvir alongside senior Israeli police officers, drawing widespread condemnation from Palestinians in Al-Quds. The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs described the move as a serious provocation and a deliberate escalation.
In parallel, Israeli occupation police intensified their restrictions at the mosque’s entrances, preventing many Palestinians from entering or praying. Several worshippers had their ID cards confiscated, while others were delayed or turned away entirely—a continuation of long-standing measures aimed at tightening Israeli control over the holy site.
Israeli settlers perform epic prostration while breaking into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem under police cover. pic.twitter.com/VuXxyjt7QB
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) June 10, 2025
The Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, is frequently targeted by settler incursions, often under police escort, in actions widely seen by Palestinians as attempts to change the religious and historical status quo.
Source: Agencies
