Netanyahu tours tunnels beneath Al-Aqsa as Ben Gvir raids Jerusalem holy site

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited tunnels beneath Al-Aqsa Mosque as hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the Jerusalem holy site over the weekend. As Yom Kippur, the most sacred day on the Jewish calendar, approached, Netanyahu joined tens of thousands of Israelis for Selichot prayers at the Western Wall, located adjacent to Al-Aqsa, on Saturday night.

The prime minister subsequently shared a video of himself and his wife, Sara, touring the tunnels below the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. "It is moving to touch the rock of our existence. We are here very close to the Holy of Holies," Netanyahu stated. "We are here, and we will always remain here."

Thousands of individuals attended Selichot prayers at the Western Wall plaza, comprising Israeli government ministers and officials. On Sunday morning, a group of around 800 Israeli settlers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, raided Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem Governorate reported that approximately 800 individuals stormed the site on Sunday.