Far-right Israeli incursion heightens tensions at Al-Aqsa ahead of election

Hundreds of Israelis have entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem as part of one of the largest incursions seen this year.The Palestinian Authority said it expected the number of trespassers at the site to continue increasing until sunset on Thursday, potentially reaching about 5,000, as Jews mark Tisha B’Av, a Jewish day of mourning marking the destruction of both ancient Jewish temples believed to have stood on the Islamic holy site.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israel bans Jerusalem’s grand mufti from Al-Aqsa Mosque for one weeklist 2 of 4Key takeaways from Khalil al-Hayya’s first speech as Hamas leaderlist 3 of 4More than 4,200 Israelis storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalemlist 4 of 4Right-wing Israeli groups storm Al-Aqsa as Palestinians barred from worshipend of listOrthodox Jews have traditionally considered it forbidden to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, but the rise of the Religious Zionist movement has led to an increase in the number of Jews attempting to pray on the site, despite a legal prohibition on the practice under the longstanding arrangements governing the compound.Participants in this year’s incursion were again joined by I...