Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque 26 Times During June 2026
Israeli occupation forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem 26 times during June 2026, whilst authorities prevented the call to prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron 84 times. The figures were released by the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs on Sunday.
The statistics form part of the ministry’s monthly report documenting Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Ibrahimi Mosque last month. According to the report, 4,212 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound through the Mughrabi Gate during morning and afternoon visits under police protection.
The ministry stated that ‘Temple Mount’ groups continue to call for increased incursions into the compound and the imposition of a ‘new reality’ inside the mosque. The report documented settlers performing Talmudic rituals within the compound, including what is termed ‘epic prostration,’ collective prostration, and public group prayers, as well as prayers for Israeli soldiers in front of the Dome of the Rock.
The report noted that Rabbi Elisha Wolfson, head of the Yeshivat Har HaBayit religious school, entered the complex more than once with settlers and conducted Talmudic rituals there. According to the ministry, Israeli forces also tightened restrictions on Palestinian worshippers, particularly on Fridays, by entering the area around the Qibli Prayer Hall and the Dome of the Rock during sermons and prayers and intensifying measures at the mosque’s gates.
At the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, the ministry reported that 950 Israeli soldiers entered the site during June, whilst the call to prayer was prevented 84 times. The report added that Israeli authorities continue to close the mosque’s eastern gate, have covered its windows with tarpaulin since the beginning of 2025, closed Gate No. 7 to Endowments staff, and imposed restrictions on worshippers and employees.
The report also accused Israeli authorities of installing a roof over the mosque’s central courtyard without consulting the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments or the Hebron municipality, and stated that the mosque director and its chief administrator were arrested and banned from the site for 12 days.
The ministry said settler attacks extended to other mosques in the occupied West Bank, adding that two mosques in the towns of Jaljulia and Mazari al-Nubani, north of Ramallah, were set ablaze. Settler groups were also reported to have entered the Ras Mosque in the Jabari neighbourhood of Hebron, raised Israeli flags on its walls and roof, played Hebrew songs through loudspeakers in its courtyard, and prevented worshippers from reaching the site. The ministry called upon the international community and human rights organisations to act to halt Israeli violations, protect Islamic holy sites, and preserve their historical and legal status.