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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several ministers and thousands of Israeli occupiers made their way into the Western Wall plaza in occupied East Jerusalem early Sunday under tight security, according to the Jerusalem Governorate of Palestine.
The governorate said thousands of Israeli occupiers reached the plaza after passing through Wadi Street in the Old City.
Large numbers of Palestinians were also in the area to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque and shop in the Old City, the governorate noted.
With Yom Kippur nearing, the governorate called on Palestinians to gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque and resist Israeli incursions, urging them to "thwart the occupation's plans."
The Western Wall is controlled by Israel, which cites the site’s importance as a Jewish holy place. The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Administration and the Jerusalem Governorate, meanwhile, regard the wall as part of Islamic holy sites.
The plaza remains open around the clock under Israeli authorities and is used for religious ceremonies, prayers and official events. Security checks and searches are carried out at entrances, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.
The site is adjacent to the compound known as Al-Aqsa Mosque to Palestinians and the Temple Mount to Jews, making the area a frequent point of tension over access, prayer and religious practices.
On the second day of Rosh Hashanah earlier this month, about 250 Jews were reported to have visited the Temple Mount under police protection, while Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said Muslim worshippers were prevented from reaching the site while Jewish visitors were present.
Israeli groups had called on supporters to gather outside the Gate of Mercy for prayers known as "Selichot" ahead of Yom Kippur, which begins on Sept. 21.
The Jewish holiday period began with the Hebrew New Year on Sept. 12-13 and runs through Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, on Sept. 21; Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2; and Simchat Torah, marking the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle, on Oct. 3.
The final Selichot gatherings take place as worshippers prepare for Yom Kippur, one of the major religious observances in Judaism. The holiday brings a period of fasting and prayer, with large numbers of people visiting the Western Wall in the days leading up to it.
The Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli police have unilaterally allowed Israeli occupiers to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound since 2003.
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