A group of Israeli settlers forcibly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem’s Old City under heavy police protection, according to a report published on July 2, 2026. The Palestinian state news agency Wafa said the settlers performed Talmudic religious rituals inside the mosque compound during the incursion.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, located on a hilltop in East Jerusalem, was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed, a move not recognized by most of the international community. The site holds deep religious significance for Muslims worldwide as Islam’s third holiest site, encompassing both the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the seventh-century Dome of the Rock, from where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

The report cited Al Jazeera as its source but did not provide details about any immediate response or consequences following the settlers’ entry.