Hamas Condemns Netanyahu’s Entry Into Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

The Palestinian Hamas movement has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s entry into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, describing it as a violation of the Islamic holy site’s status.

Hamas said Netanyahu’s visit to tunnels and excavation sites beneath the Old City and near Al-Aqsa Mosque, accompanied by what it described as provocative statements, constituted an assault on the site’s identity and status.

The group stressed that Al-Aqsa Mosque, including its courtyards, prayer halls, walls and gates, remains an Islamic holy site.

Netanyahu shared photographs and videos of his participation in a Jewish ceremony in the tunnels beneath the Old City. Israeli ministers and thousands of Israelis also entered the Western Wall plaza under heavy security.

According to the Jerusalem governorate, large numbers of Israelis entered the area through Wadi Street, while religious prayers and rituals were reportedly held near the Gate of Mercy, one of the entrances to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The governorate urged Palestinians to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque as Yom Kippur, a major Jewish religious observance, approaches.

The Israeli authorities control the Western Wall plaza, which is a major Jewish prayer site. Palestinian and Islamic authorities maintain that the Western Wall forms part of the wider walls of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The latest developments come amid continuing tensions over access, religious practices and the status quo surrounding Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem.

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