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Netanyahu’s Al-Aqsa Tunnel Visit Prompts Netanyahu Arrest Warrant

By Drooid · Sep 20, 2026, 7:58 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Netanyahu Visits Al-Aqsa Tunnels

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led a visit to tunnels beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Around 570 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound by 10 a.m. Sunday, performing Talmudic rituals.
Analyst Ahmed al-Hila said Netanyahu used the tunnel visit as religious symbolism to boost his October election prospects.
The Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, condemning the tunnel visit as an attack on Al-Aqsa’s Islamic heritage.

Summary

Settlers Enter Al-Aqsa

Israeli police escorted about 100 settlers through Al-Aqsa courtyards while performing Talmudic rituals.
The raid began as Yom Kippur started on Sunday evening.
Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate called the participants illegal Israeli settlers and occupiers.
Officials warned the incursion seeks to impose a new “temporal and spatial” reality at the holy site.
Authorities noted settler incursions into Al-Aqsa have sharply risen during recent Jewish holidays.

History

Historical Context

After Israel seized East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War, Jordan retained custodial control of the Al-Aqsa compound while Israel enforced a non-Muslim prayer ban. Violence erupted in 1990 when 17 Palestinians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Massacre, prompting UN Security Council Res 672. A similar flashpoint occurred in July 2017 when metal detectors sparked protests and 113 injuries, a pattern echoed by today’s escorted settler tour.

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Netanyahu Visits Al-Aqsa Tunnels

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led a visit to tunnels beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Around 570 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound by 10 a.m. Sunday, performing Talmudic rituals.
Analyst Ahmed al-Hila said Netanyahu used the tunnel visit as religious symbolism to boost his October election prospects.
The Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, condemning the tunnel visit as an attack on Al-Aqsa’s Islamic heritage.

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