Story so far.

The Struggle for Al-Aqsa: What You Need to Know

Updated 29 April 2026

On 28 February 2026, Israeli forces forcibly closed Masjid Al-Aqsa, denying worshippers the right to pray during the sacred month of Ramadan and Eid at Islam’s holiest site in Jerusalem.

After 40 days of closure, Masjid Al-Aqsa reopened on 9 April 2026 but only under Israeli-imposed conditions.

This restricted reopening should not be mistaken for genuine freedom or restored Muslim control at Masjid Al-Aqsa.

The announcement stated that Al-Aqsa would open simultaneously to Muslim worshippers and to Israeli settler incursion groups, including ultranationalist movements whose stated aim is to destroy the buildings within Al-Aqsa and replace them with a Jewish temple.

A Trajectory of Takeover

Settler incursions into Al-Aqsa began in 2003. Fixed daily incursion timings were introduced in 2008, when settlers were allocated three hours. By 2026, those hours had gradually expanded to six and a half.

This deliberate pattern grants settler groups increased access to Al-Aqsa, while restricting Muslim worship. Their aim: to impose “time division” and lay the groundwork for full Israeli sovereignty, as already attempted at Ibrahimi Masjid in Hebron.

Calls for Takeover 

Figures within Israel’s government have not concealed these intentions. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who entered Al-Aqsa during the closure while Muslim worshippers remained locked out, has been explicit. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Israeli sovereignty over the entire West Bank. Temple Mount movement organisations openly call for the demolition of the musallas (prayer spaces) within the Al-Aqsa sanctuary and the construction of a Third Temple. Yehuda Glick, a prominent Temple Mount movement leader, built his career on daily incursions and the demand that “the Temple Mount” be placed under exclusive Jewish control. Haggi Yekutiel, another activist, declared: “We are going to build the Third Temple in every prayer we recite in the Temple Mount.”

Escalating Restrictions on Palestinian Worshippers

Palestinians face systematic access controls, including:

• Age-based entry bans

• Permit restrictions for worshippers

• Gender-based limitations

• Arbitrary closures during Ramadan and other religious periods

In recent years, Israeli forces have stormed Al-Aqsa during Ramadan, using violence against peaceful worshippers.

Settler Incursions Are Increasing Rapidly

While Palestinians face growing restrictions, organised settler incursions backed by armed Israeli police have reached record levels inside Al-Aqsa.

• 2022: 48,000+ settler incursions

• 2024: 53,488 incursions (record high)

• 2025: Over 65,000 entries reported

• January 2026: 4,397 settler entries, with an additional 7,868 recorded as “tourism”

The Supreme Court Ruling: A New Act of Aggression

Before the reopening of Al-Aqsa in April 2026, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected a petition by the Temple Mount Organisations Union seeking an urgent order to enable settler incursions into Al-Aqsa during Passover. The petition was rejected after the Home Front Command determined that there was no “protected area” available for those attempting to carry out the incursions. The court did not reject the principle. It rejected the practicality.

Some have described this ruling as a restraint on settler ambitions, but there are three significant implications.

First, by declining to intervene rather than actively rejecting the settlers’ claim, the court effectively returned authority over Al-Aqsa’s access to the Home Front Command and to Ben Gvir’s Ministry of National Security. The power to open or close Al-Aqsa has been handed not to its rightful administrators, but to an Israeli military body and a far-right minister.

Second, the ruling itself may be seen as a significant development. For the Israeli Supreme Court to adjudicate the opening and closing of Al-Aqsa is an assertion of authority over the site. Some sources note that under international law, this authority is assigned to the Jordanian Islamic Waqf.

Third, this may be establishing a precedent: Muslim access to Al-Aqsa is becoming conditional on settler incursions. Certain areas within the Al-Aqsa compound, such as the Marwani Musalla and the Qibli Musalla, are increasingly described as spaces for Muslim worshippers during settler activity in the courtyards. This situation is described as creating a dual-access system, which some contend lacks a legal or moral foundation.

The Closure was a rehearsal for a takeover

The reopening of Al-Aqsa after forty days is not a genuine return to normality but rather a concession orchestrated by the occupier, in coordination with settler movements, and defined by their conditions rather than those of the rightful guardians.

Although the gates of Al-Aqsa have reopened, control remains in the hands of external authorities. Until the Waqf regains full authority and Muslims can worship freely, the central struggle is over rightful administration and unhindered worship at Al-Aqsa.