JERUSALEM, April 20, 2026 (WAFA) – The Jerusalem Governorate warned against escalating incitement by extremist Temple Mount groups, urging their supporters to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and raise the Israeli flag inside it next Wednesday, under the pretext of so-called "Independence Day." The Governorate considers this a dangerous provocative step, a direct attack on the sanctity of the mosque, and a blatant attempt to impose a Judaized reality by force.
In a statement issued today, Monday, the Governorate affirmed that these calls are part of an organized plan led by the Israeli occupation authorities, with the participation of settlers, to impose complete control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by intensifying incursions and violations and imposing a fait accompli by force, in flagrant violation of international laws and conventions.
She added that attempts to market these practices as an "expression of sovereignty" are a blatant and unacceptable deception, and will not grant the occupation any legitimacy over Al-Aqsa Mosque, which will remain, in its entirety, the exclusive right of Muslims, no matter how much the attacks escalate.
The Jerusalem Governorate warned that the continuation of this incitement, in light of international silence, encourages the occupation authorities to persist in their violations and exploit regional conditions to implement their plans, in clear disregard for international law and the feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide.
It emphasized that the incitement campaigns led by groups associated with the so-called "Temple" against the Governorate's role in warning against extremist schemes targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque will not deter it from continuing to fulfill its responsibilities in confronting these policies, documenting violations against Jerusalem and its holy sites, presenting them at various international levels, and working to mobilize the broadest possible international stance against these attacks.
It also called on Arab and international media outlets to intensify their coverage of these violations and not to treat them as isolated incidents, but rather as part of a systematic policy aimed at altering the historical and legal status quo of Al-Aqsa Mosque. In closing, the statement emphasized that this dangerous escalation necessitates urgent and effective international action to halt the occupation's aggression and put an end to its attempts to forcibly impose its sovereignty over the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
KT
