DaysofPal – Palestinian warnings are intensifying over the most dangerous Israeli escalation targeting Jerusalem since the city’s occupation in 1967. The warnings coincide with the 59th Hebrew anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem and growing indications that the Israeli government and Temple Mount groups are seeking to impose new realities inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, including Friday incursions for the first time since 1967 and an expansion of temporal and spatial control over the site.
In an urgent appeal, the Al-Quds International Foundation warned that Thursday and Friday, 14 and 15 May 2026, could witness an unprecedented escalation against the mosque. The organization said Israeli authorities were attempting to exploit the atmosphere of war and ongoing aggression to enforce historic changes within the compound.
According to the foundation, Israeli occupation forces, backed by far-right ministers and political figures, are pursuing a gradual three-stage plan. The first stage would involve large-scale incursions accompanied by Talmudic rituals and the raising of Israeli flags inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa.
The effort would then culminate in an attempt to allow settler incursions on Friday, a move viewed by Palestinians as a direct challenge to the Islamic character and sanctity of the day within the mosque. The organization said the move is intended to cement what settler groups describe as “equal rights” for Jewish worshippers at the site.
Push for Friday Incursions
In an analytical paper issued by the foundation, the most dangerous development under discussion is the attempt to impose settler incursions on a Friday, a precedent unseen since the occupation of Jerusalem. The organization described this as a major step toward institutionalizing the temporal division of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The paper states that Temple Mount groups have intensified calls in recent weeks for Friday incursions into the compound, alongside political pressure exerted by members of the Israeli Knesset and ministers in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Twenty-two Israeli politicians reportedly signed a petition demanding permission for Friday incursions or, alternatively, the extension of current visiting hours if such a move could not immediately be implemented. Among the signatories were 19 lawmakers from the Likud party and nine government ministers.
The foundation argued that the petition reflects growing consensus within the ruling coalition in favor of escalatory measures at Al-Aqsa, particularly with Israeli elections approaching and figures such as Itamar Ben-Gvir seeking to strengthen their political standing through symbolic actions linked to the mosque.
The paper also warned of Israeli efforts to establish an additional evening incursion period after afternoon prayers, which would increase the total daily duration of incursions from six and a half hours to nearly nine hours. The foundation described the move as another step toward expanding the temporal division of the mosque compound.
These efforts are also linked to attempts to directly connect the annual settler “Flag March” to Al-Aqsa Mosque itself, extending settler activities from Jerusalem’s Old City into the mosque courtyards during evening hours.
The organization further warned that Ben-Gvir could attempt to enter the covered prayer halls within Al-Aqsa, particularly the Dome of the Rock and the Qibli Mosque, after reportedly receiving a rabbinical ruling permitting such actions. According to the foundation, the move would aim to reinforce what settler organizations call “Israeli sovereignty” within the compound while further undermining the remaining authority of the Jordanian Islamic Waqf administration.
Flag March and Displays of Sovereignty
At the same time, Israeli preparations continue for the annual “Flag March” in occupied Jerusalem, with thousands of settlers expected to participate in routes passing through the Old City and near the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinians fear the march could lead to attacks against residents and property.
The march forms part of annual Israeli commemorations marking the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 and is often accompanied by large-scale incursions into Al-Aqsa and Talmudic rituals inside its courtyards.
According to the foundation’s paper, Israeli authorities are seeking this year to move beyond the traditional pattern of incursions by intensifying displays of what they call “Israeli sovereignty” inside the mosque. These include raising Israeli flags, singing the national anthem, and collectively performing Talmudic prostration rituals within the compound.
In response, the Al-Quds International Foundation called for a broad media and public mobilization campaign urging Palestinians in Jerusalem, inside Israel, and across the occupied West Bank to gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City. The organization argued that a large Palestinian presence remains the most effective factor capable of obstructing Israeli plans.
The foundation said previous experiences, particularly during the Gate of the Tribes protests and the 2021 Sword of Jerusalem confrontation, demonstrated that sustained public presence and mass mobilization had succeeded in disrupting Israeli measures inside the mosque compound.
It also called on religious scholars, political and human rights figures, and media organizations across the region to intensify urgent action against an impending historic assault on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to warn of the consequences of any new alteration to the long-standing status quo at the holy site.
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