DUBAI: Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during controversial “Jerusalem Day” celebrations that mark Israel’s 1967 capture of East Jerusalem.

His visit came as more than 900 extremist Jewish settlers, accompanied by Israeli police, stormed the courtyards of the holy site – known to Jews as the Temple Mount – according to the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department

The group included Knesset members and rabbis who performed what the Waqf described as “provocative Talmudic rituals” in various areas of the compound.

In one instance, a settler raised an Israeli flag and danced in the eastern section of Al-Aqsa, an act seen as a violation of the longstanding status quo governing the site, which is sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

The Waqf also reported that settlers attempted to bring Torah scrolls through the Mughrabi Gate, while hundreds more gathered in Al-Buraq Square and at Qattanin Gate, where they held religious dances and rituals.

Extremist Knesset member Moshe Feiglin was reportedly planning to enter the site later in the day after awarding a medal to a retired Israeli soldier who took part in the 1967 occupation of Jerusalem.

In anticipation of unrest, Israeli police imposed tight restrictions across the Old City, erecting iron barriers at Damascus Gate and other entry points, heavily limiting Palestinian access.

The annual “Flag March,” expected to pass through densely populated Palestinian areas such as Damascus Gate and Al-Wad Street, has raised tensions, with settler incursions and harassment of Muslim worshippers reportedly increasing in recent days.