On September 28, 2026, more than 1,500 Israeli settlers entered the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem. simultaneously, Israeli authorities mandated the closure of Palestinian businesses in the Old City to facilitate Jewish prayers during the Sukkot holiday.
The 1,500-Settler Incursion and Itamar Ben-Gvir's Presence
According to the report, the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem and various Palestinian media outlets confirmed that over 1,500 settlers forced their way into the Al Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday. Among those participating was National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who entered the site under the protection of Israeli police to celebrate Sukkot. Social media footage shared by the settlers depicts the group performing singing, prayers, and Talmudic rituals, primarily concentrated in the eastern section of the mosque compound.
This event is part of a broader surge in incursions during the current Jewish holiday cycle. The report notes that the period began with Rosh Hashanah on September 12-13 and continued through Yom Kippur on September 21-22, leading into the current Sukkot celebrations which run from September 26 to October 2, and concluding with Simchat Torah on October 3. These recurring entries into the world's third-holiest site for Muslims have consistently been accompanied by heavy security deployments from Israeli forces .
Shutting Down the 56 Establishments of the Cotton Merchants Market
The disruption extended beyond the mosque walls into the surrounding commercial districts. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) stated that dozens of Palestinian-owned cafes, restaurants, and shops in the Cotton Merchants Market were forced to close. This specific market, which serves as a primary route leading to the Al Aqsa Mosque, contains 56 distinct businesses that were shuttered to make way for Jewish prayers.
Beyond the economic impact on traders , the restrictions affected the local population's freedom of movement. the Association for Civil Rights in Israel reported that approximately 200 Palestinians residing along the designated prayer route were ordered to remain inside their homes while the rituals took place. local traders emphasized that this marks the first time in history they have been ordered to shutter their businesses for the entire duration of the holiday period, rather than for limited hours.
The UN's Stance on East Jerusalem and the 1967 Occupation
The current tensions are rooted in a long-standing international legal dispute over the status of East Jerusalem. As the report highlights, the United Nations does not recognize the Israeli occupation of the city in 1967 or its subsequent annexation in 1980, viewing East Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian territory under international law. This legal framework makes the forced closure of businesses and the storming of the Al Aqsa Mosque compound a point of severe international contention.
The political fallout has been immediate. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman for the Palestinian president, characterized the incursions as a "dangerous provocation" and warned that Israel is "playing with fire." Abu Rudeineh suggested that such actions could ignite a broader religious war in the region, reflecting the high stakes associated with the Temple Mount—the name Jews use for the site, claiming it held two ancient Jewish temples.
The Absence of Written Police Orders for the Sukkot Closures
A critical point of legal contention involves the manner in which the Israeli police enforced these closures. As reported by the source, police informed business owners of the shutdowns via telephone and subsequent in-person visits, but failed to provide any written orders or formal instructions. Tal Hassin, an attorney with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, argued that this lack of documentation is unacceptable and that police are forcing residents to pay the price for rituals that could be accommodated through alternative routes or shorter hours.
Several questions remain unanswered regarding the security justification for these measures. specifically, it is unclear why the Israeli police deemed a full-scale closure of the Cotton Merchants Market necessary when no specific security event was reported to justify such severity. Furthermore, the report does not include a response from the Israeli police regarding why they rejected the Association for Civil Rights in Israel's suggestion to simply alter the prayer route to avoid displacing 200 residents and 56 businesses.
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