Gaza: Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, provoking outrage among Palestinians and drawing fresh attention to the growing tensions in the Old City.
The incident, reported on April 22, 2025, by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, described settlers entering the sacred site in organized groups under the protection of heavily armed Israeli police forces.
Witnesses said the settlers roamed the courtyards in a manner aimed at inciting Palestinian worshippers. Israeli forces were deployed in large numbers across the Old City, turning the area around Al-Aqsa into what some described as a “military barracks,” with officers stationed at every gate leading to the mosque.
Palestinians trying to access the compound were met with heightened restrictions, as many were denied entry entirely by Israeli police. The move was seen by many as an attempt to assert control over one of Islam’s holiest sites and further marginalize Palestinian presence in the city. The latest raid has deepened fears of escalating violence and renewed international scrutiny over Israel’s policies in East Jerusalem.
