Incursion Reported at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

(MENAFN) Nine Israeli occupiers reportedly raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday, following an assault on two of the site’s guards, according to the Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate. The incident involved the group entering the sacred complex while carrying an item described as a ritual food offering linked to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.

In its statement, Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate quoted the event, saying: "Nine occupiers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after assaulting two of its guards, and they were carrying a bread offering," referencing the religious practice associated with Shavuot.

The governorate further reported that the group "forcibly entered the mosque and managed to reach the Dome of the Rock courtyard." It characterized the development as "a dangerous precedent and the first of its kind since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967," warning that it represents a significant escalation.

It also stated that the incursion took place alongside what it described as "widespread incitement by extremist Temple Mount groups" during the Shavuot holiday, framing the event as part of continued efforts to alter conditions within the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Separately, the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem reported that the same group entered the site through the Al-Ghawanimah Gate after assaulting two guards. It added that they reached the Dome of the Rock courtyard while carrying a "plant offering."

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