Abbas sees settlers' entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque as 'dangerous escalation'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the recent entry of more than 3,200 Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as a "dangerous escalation." The holy site, sacred to Muslims and located in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem, was entered by the settlers under the protection of Israeli police during the Jewish festival of Tisha B'Av.

Abbas stated that the events at Al-Aqsa represent a "dangerous escalation" and are part of a systematic policy to impose new, temporary, and spatial divisions within the area. The official Palestinian agency Wafa shared his statement, emphasizing that the incursions are a "flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo."

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What is happening at the Al-Aqsa Mosque represents a dangerous escalation that is part of a systematic policy aimed at imposing new realities in the area and attempting to divide it temporarily and spatially.

The Waqf Islamic Foundation, which manages the Al-Aqsa compound, initially reported around 2,500 settlers entering to pray, later raising the figure to 3,200. Abbas stressed that Al-Aqsa is exclusively a place of worship for Muslims and is located in territory militarily occupied by Israel.

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The entry of thousands of settlers constitutes a flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo.

The existing status quo, in place since Israel's 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem, reserves the compound for Muslim worship. While Jews can visit, Jewish law prohibits them from praying there, with prayer generally permitted only at the Western Wall. However, some rabbis aligned with religious Zionism have advocated for prayer at the site of the Second Temple, a move viewed by Palestinians and Jordanians as a political attempt at Judaization and Israeli control over Jerusalem.

The Palestinian presidency urged the international community to take a firm stance, compelling Israel to halt all violations and unilateral actions in Jerusalem and other occupied Palestinian territories. The article also recalls that the 2000 visit of Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the compound triggered the Second Intifada. The current Israeli National Security Minister also visited Al-Aqsa on Thursday.

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Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims.