Why Israel is closer than ever to building the Third Temple

Jewish prayers recited loudly in groups. Singing and dancing. Men prostrating themselves, faces pressed to the ground. Israeli flags held aloft.

That was the scene inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, during an Israeli raid earlier this month. 

A few years ago, such a display would have been unimaginable. But since 7 October 2023, everything has changed, say Palestinians.

"There were terrifying numbers of people [Israeli settlers] present and some were important figures," Aouni Bazbaz, the director of international affairs at the Islamic Waqf, the organisation that administers Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Middle East Eye at the time.

"What happened… represents a pivotal stage aimed at forcibly imposing Jewish sovereignty over Al-Aqsa Mosque and dividing it spatially between Muslims and settlers,” he added. 

Read more: Why Israel is closer than ever to building the Third Temple