5 Flashpoints: The Assault on Al-Aqsa Since 2026

Since the start of 2026, Al-Aqsa Mosque has been witnessing a rapidly escalating pattern of Israeli violations — a calculated, step-by-step campaign combining heavy-handed security measures with politically and religiously charged raids.

These developments are anything but isolated or spontaneous. They reflect a systematic agenda to reshape the status quo at the holy compound, pushing beyond security control toward entrenching a permanent Israeli presence — all against the backdrop of growing influence held by far-right and religious extremist currents within Israel's decision-making institutions.

Against this backdrop, five key flashpoints have defined the contours of this escalating campaign, revealing a clear shift from a policy of restriction to the imposition of new facts on the ground inside Al-Aqsa — through closures, repeated raids led by officials and extremist religious groups, as follows:

1. The Total Lockdown

On February 28, Israeli occupation authorities imposed a complete lockdown on Al-Aqsa Mosque, barring worshippers from entering — a move widely condemned as a dangerous escalation aimed at reducing the Islamic presence within the holy compound and establishing total security control as a prelude to even harsher measures to come.

2. Ben Gvir's First Raid

On April 6, Israel's so-called National Security Minister Ben Gvir stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy occupation forces escort — a pointed political message signaling the government's open endorsement of official-led raids and its push to entrench what it calls "Israeli sovereignty" over the mosque.

3. Mass Public Raids

On April 9, the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed organized mass raids by dozens of settlers, carried out openly and accompanied by religious rituals performed under full police protection — marking a notable shift in the nature of such incursions, from covert or limited operations to brazen public displays aimed at imposing a gradual fait accompli.

4. Ben Gvir's Second Raid

On April 12, Ben Gvir raided Al-Aqsa Mosque again just days after his first incursion — a sign of the accelerating pace of official escalation and the entrenchment of raids as a domestic political tool, particularly amid a surging far-right discourse calling for an overhaul of the existing status quo at the holy compound.

5. Rabbi Eyal Tsinov's Raid

Just one day after Ben Gvir's raid, Rabbi Eyal Tsinov stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque accompanied by settlers — a move carrying grave religious implications, particularly as extremist religious groups play an increasingly prominent role in such incursions and push to impose Jewish rituals inside the compound, posing a direct threat to its established historical and legal status.

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