On Thursday afternoon, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir forcibly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, accompanied by a heavy security detail from occupation forces, and raised the Israeli flag on the site. The Jerusalem Governorate stated that Ben-Gvir performed provocative acts and dances within the mosque's courtyards, coinciding with a surge in settler incursions into the compound as part of what is referred to as "Jerusalem Unity Day."
Following his display of dancing, jumping, and singing, Ben-Gvir wrote on his X account: "59 years after the liberation of Jerusalem, I raised the flag of Israel on the Temple Mount, and we can proudly say: We have restored sovereignty to the Temple Mount. This year's Ramadan was the quietest in many years, thanks to hard work, firm policy, and the police and fighters who worked day and night for the security of Israeli citizens and maintaining order in Jerusalem. Today, more than ever, the Temple Mount is in our hands! Happy Jerusalem Day."
The Jerusalem Governorate further confirmed that dozens of settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa courtyards in the morning, where they danced and sang the song "The Temple Will Be Built" in the eastern plaza. This took place during what is termed a "compensatory incursion" to mark the Hebrew anniversary of Jerusalem's occupation. These incursions occur amid the atmosphere of so-called "Jerusalem Day," with settler platforms and organizations linked to the "Temple organizations" describing today's event as occurring "on the eve of Jerusalem Day," not as the central incursion they aim to carry out. This hints at their intention to push for broader incursions on Friday morning, pending approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Jerusalem Governorate also reported that settlers performed "epic prostrations" as the morning incursions began, marking the Hebrew anniversary of Jerusalem's occupation on May 15. It noted that Israeli Knesset member Ariel Kellner entered Al-Aqsa in the morning alongside settlers, coinciding with the so-called "Jerusalem Unification Day." Occupation police imposed stringent measures on worshippers at Al-Aqsa, aiming to clear the site for settler incursions during the "compensatory celebration" of the Hebrew anniversary.
According to the Jerusalem Governorate's statement, occupation forces barred men under 60 and women under 50 from entering the mosque compound from dawn, and assaulted several individuals through pushing and beating at the gates. Occupation police forced worshippers, employees of the Islamic Waqf Department, and students of the Sharia school to remain inside covered prayer halls and buildings, preventing them from being in the courtyards to fully vacate the area for the infiltrators.
The Jerusalem Governorate indicated that, based on data, no more than 150 Muslims were inside Al-Aqsa, including Waqf employees and Sharia school students some of whom were taking final exams. In contrast, the number of infiltrators exceeded 200 within the first hour. In Jerusalem's Old City, occupation forces compelled shopkeepers to close their businesses for the entire day as part of measures to secure the Al-Aqsa incursions and the planned afternoon flag march.
Additionally, video clips circulated showing brutal assaults by settlers on Palestinians in the Old City, alongside the use of vulgar slurs. Settlers performed dances and provocations within the Old City, coinciding with their incursions into neighborhoods and markets ahead of the so-called "Flag March." According to the Jerusalem Governorate, one settler hung an Israeli flag on the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall in Al-Aqsa during the incursion. The Governorate confirmed that occupation police restricted journalists and assaulted them inside the Old City.
Separately, the Jerusalem Governorate confirmed that settler groups began gathering in the afternoon opposite the Damascus Gate and Herod's Gate in occupied Jerusalem, preparing to participate in the so-called "Flag March" organized on "Jerusalem Unification Day." This occurred amidst a heavy deployment of occupation forces and stringent measures around the Old City. The Governorate also affirmed that settlers raised occupation flags near the Jaffa Gate and assaulted Palestinian citizens in the Christian Quarter and several neighborhoods within occupied Jerusalem's Old City ahead of the "Flag March," carrying out provocations and attacks against residents and passersby.