Netanyahu tours tunnels beneath Al-Aqsa as Ben Gvir raids Jerusalem holy site

What Happened

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured tunnels beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on Saturday night following Selichot prayers at the Western Wall. On Sunday, approximately 800 Israelis, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, entered the Al-Aqsa compound under police protection to conduct prayers. The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate reported that an additional 400 individuals participated in similar incursions on Monday, characterizing the heavy police deployment in the Old City as turning the area into a military barracks.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is governed by a long-standing status quo that designates the site as an Islamic holy place managed by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. Repeated incursions and instances of Jewish prayer at the site are viewed by Palestinian authorities and international observers as systematic attempts to undermine this arrangement, frequently serving as a flashpoint for broader regional instability and communal tensions.

Watch For

Monitor for further incursions during the remainder of the Jewish holiday season, as well as potential diplomatic responses from regional actors regarding the status quo of the Al-Aqsa compound.