- Palestinians warn of growing threats by Israeli settlers to demolish Al-Aqsa and build a temple, citing inciteful online content and AI-generated videos.
- The mosque faces repeated provocations, prompting calls for urgent international action to protect Jerusalem’s religious sanctities.
Palestinians have expressed “extreme concern” over threats by Israeli settler groups calling for the destruction of Al-Aqsa Masjid.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a warning about online calls circulating on Hebrew-language social media. These calls, made by settler organisation, advocate for an attack on the mosque and the construction of a Jewish temple in its place.
Located in Al-Quds— occupied East Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Masjid compound is Islam’s third holiest site and is a powerful component of Islamic identity and history. While Jordan oversees its administration, Israeli forces control access to the area.
Earlier in the week, an AI generated video titled “Next Year in Jerusalem” surfaced on social media platforms, depicting the mosque’s destruction and the erection of a so-called “Third Temple.” In the clip a verse from the Torah can be heard, known as the prayer: “Hear, O Israel, God, your Lord is one.”
In a statement released on X, the Palestinian ministry described such content as “systematic incitement to escalate the targeting of Christian and Islamic holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.” It urged the international community and relevant UN bodies to treat this incitement with “utmost seriousness” and to act in accordance with international law.
Al-Aqsa has repeatedly been the site of incursions by Israeli settlers and Israeli politicians, who frequently enter the compound under Israeli police protection and perform religious rituals—provocations.
Last August Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced his intentions to construct a synagogue within the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
