Israel imposes strict military measures in Jerusalem

Israeli settlers stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem on Thursday, under heavy guard from Israeli police, citing “Yom Kippur”.

Local sources said Israeli occupation forces tightened military measures around the Al-Aqsa compound and in the Old City, hindering Palestinians’ access to the courtyards to secure the entry of large numbers of settlers.

Groups affiliated with the so-called “Union of Temple Organizations” called on supporters to take part in a wide-scale incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque next Monday, under the pretext of celebrating the Jewish “Feast of Tabernacles”.

Israeli police moved to turn the city into a large prison by blocking streets with concrete blocks and deploying metal barriers, aiming to facilitate settler buses and prevent residents from moving between Jerusalem neighborhoods.

Israeli forces closed dozens of streets and key roads in occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday evening in preparation for “Yom Kippur”, citing the need to secure settler marches to celebrate “Yom Kippur”, causing near-total paralysis of people’s movements and disrupting daily life.

Israeli police deployed heavy military reinforcements and set up checkpoints around the Old City, at Damascus Gate and the Hebron Gate, and closed roads leading to neighborhoods including Silwan, al-Thawri, al-Isawiya, al-Tur, Sheikh Jarrah, al-Misrara and Wadi al-Joz, alongside the deployment of special forces at the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The measures are disrupting residents’ movements and preventing them from freely reaching their workplaces and daily centers, while settlers have been allowed to gather and perform their religious rites inside and outside the Old City.