On Thursday, more than 3,200 Israeli settlers and far-right activists poured into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, marking one of the largest incursions at the site this year. The mass entry, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir under heavy police protection, unfolded during Tisha B’Av—a Jewish day of mourning tied to the ancient temples once believed to stand there. Palestinian officials warn the numbers could climb to 5,000 by sundown, potentially surpassing previous records for the holiday. Main Developments The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem reported that 3,228 Israelis entered the compound during the morning period alone. Palestinian authorities said Israeli forces barred most Palestinian worshippers and students from entering, tightened checkpoints around East Jerusalem, and assaulted several individuals at the gates. Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Ramallah, described “extreme measures” in the Old City, including entry restricted to the elderly only. Inside the compound, Israeli settlers performed Talmudic rituals—prostrating, singing, and praying—according to the Jerusalem governorate. Israeli media noted that police permitted over 1,000 Israelis to pray at the site, directly challenging the 1967 agreement that forbids non-Muslim worship there. Ben-Gvir boasted to Haaretz that Jews visiting on Tisha B’Av “feel like the owners,” praising what he called “tremendous progress” at the contested holy site. Read also: Indian activist Wangchuk sets preconditions for ending hunger strike Background Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third-holiest site, sits atop the Temple Mount—Judaism’s most sacred location. Since Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed it (a move unrecognized internationally), a fragile status quo has governed the compound: Muslims pray there, while non-Muslims may visit but not worship. Ben-Gvir’s participation, alongside figures from the ruling Likud party, marks what Odeh called a “fundamental political shift,” as calls to rebuild a Jewish temple at the site—long fringe—now receive official endorsement. Palestinian group Hamas warned that these “blatant acts of aggression will backfire on the occupation and its settlers.” Jordan’s foreign ministry condemned Ben-Gvir’s visit as “a desecration of the sanctity of the mosque, an escalation, a barbaric act, and unacceptable provocation.” Spokesperson Ambassador Fouad Majali urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Why It Matters The incursions threaten to shatter the decades-old status quo that has kept relative calm at Jerusalem’s most volatile flashpoint. Palestinian officials described Ben-Gvir’s entry as a dangerous escalation, reflecting official Israeli backing for actions previously associated with fringe temple-reconstruction groups. Jordan, the custodian of the site’s holy places, warned that such violations could trigger broader unrest, especially as Friday prayers—when thousands typically gather at the compound—approach. Al Jazeera’s Odeh noted that the incursions “could spark further confrontations,” with tensions likely to spike if Friday’s prayers are disrupted. The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs earlier condemned the calls for mass entries as a “dangerous escalation” aimed at altering the site’s historical and legal status quo, urging international intervention to halt the trend. What's Next Israeli authorities are expected to continue facilitating settler entries until sundown, with numbers potentially reaching 5,000—exceeding past Tisha B’Av records. Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa, which draw tens of thousands of worshippers, may become a flashpoint if restrictions persist or clashes erupt. Jordan and other international actors are likely to ramp up diplomatic pressure on Israel, though no concrete steps have been announced. The long-term trajectory hinges on whether the Israeli government reins in Ben-Gvir’s provocations or allows the erosion of the 1967 agreement to accelerate.