Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Over 1,200 Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on September 28, UAE Condemns Breach as Provocation

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led over 1,200 Israeli settlers in storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on September 28, 2026, under heavy police protection during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, according to Al Jazeera and Middle East Monitor. The Islamic Waqf Department reported 1,222 occupiers entered the mosque since morning, with videos showing settlers performing Talmudic rituals, prayers and singing concentrated in the eastern part of the compound. Israeli forces closed intersections and streets surrounding the Old City and forced Palestinian shopkeepers to close their businesses to allow the incursion. Ben-Gvir declared during the raid that "we are the owners of the place in Al-Aqsa."

The UAE strongly condemned the storming in a statement reported by The National on September 30, calling it a violation. Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh described it as playing with fire and a dangerous provocation to Muslims worldwide, warning of a religious war that Israel is seeking to ignite in the region.

The incursion affects the status quo arrangement under which the Jordanian-appointed Islamic Waqf administers the site with non-Muslim prayer restricted to prevent confrontation. Palestinian shopkeepers in the Old City were forced to close businesses during the raid. The UAE's public condemnation is notable given its 2020 normalization of ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords.

Sources

Al Jazeera, Ben-Gvir joins hundreds of Israelis to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, September 28, 2026, aljazeera.com; Middle East Monitor, Ben-Gvir, over 1,200 Israeli occupiers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque as Palestinian shops forced to close for 'Jewish prayers', September 28, 2026, middleeastmonitor.com; The National, US withdraws troops from Iraq, UAE condemns Al Aqsa breach and Morocco appoints first female PM (podcast), September 30, 2026, thenationalnews.com