Settlers renew the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and European sanctions against them
Israeli settlers on Tuesday renewed their storming of the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem, under the protection of the Israeli occupation police, after the European Union approved a series of sanctions against the settlers.
Palestinian media reported that dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in groups, carried out provocative tours in its courtyards, and performed Talmudic rituals, or the so-called "epic prostration."
In this context, settlers attacked the village of Raba, southeast of Jenin, where Palestinian sources indicated that the settlers uprooted trees, especially olives, in Palestinian agricultural lands under the protection of the occupation army.
The occupation army also continued the bulldozing work on the top of Jabal al-Masalmeh in the vicinity of the village with the aim of building settlement roads, while the sources reported that the occupation forces raided Al-Arsal Street and the Al-Masayef neighborhood in Ramallah.
European sanctions against Israeli settlers
EU foreign ministers have reached an agreement to impose new sanctions on Israeli settlers who engage in violence against Palestinians, after a change of government in Hungary ended a months-long obstruction.
European Union foreign and security policy chief Kaia Kallas said during a press conference at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels that EU foreign ministers have reached a political agreement to impose sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers and entities associated with them.
In a post on the X platform, Callas said it was time for EU foreign ministers to "move from stalemate to implementation," stressing that "extremism and violence have serious consequences."
Palestinian Foreign Ministry Welcomes
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the European sanctions, considering that the sanctions constitute an important step towards strengthening accountability mechanisms in the face of the settler colonialism system and its elements, which practice crimes, looting and theft on a daily basis against Palestinian citizens, their property, land and holy sites.
The ministry called for the complete suspension of the association agreement between the European Union and Israel, the activation of the principle of universal jurisdiction, the boycott of the goods of the settlements, and the imposition of measures to hold the occupation accountable for its crimes against the Palestinians.
It also called on the European Union countries to impose a complete ban on dealing with the colonialism system in all its forms, to prevent the entry of colonial products into European markets, and to stop any direct or indirect support or cooperation with institutions and companies associated with colonialism, in line with the EU's legal and ethical obligations.
Settlements in Continuous Expansion
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics revealed in a report today that the number of Israeli settlement sites and military bases in the West Bank at the end of 2025 is 645, distributed by 151 settlements, 350 outposts, including 89 pastoral outposts as part of the policy of restricting Palestinian farmers to seize land in preparation for expelling them and depriving them of their agricultural and pastoral lands), and 144 other classified sites, including industrial, tourist, and service areas and camps of the occupation army.
The center pointed out that the number of settlers in the West Bank reached 778,567 settlers, at the end of 2024, while the Israeli occupation continues to impose its control over more Palestinian lands in the West Bank, under various pretexts and names, as it seized more than 5,571 dunums during the year 2025.
The data indicates that during the year 2025, 94 orders were issued to seize about 2,609 dunums, three expropriation orders for about 1,731 dunums, and three orders to declare state lands for about 1,231 dunums.
According to the Palestinian Statistics Statement, the Israeli occupation authorities are exploiting Palestinian agricultural lands, as the percentage of areas exploited by settlers exceeded 245% between 2000 and 2025, as part of the systematic and continuous policy of controlling Palestinian lands and depriving them of the exploitation of their natural resources as part of the annexation policy followed by the Israeli occupation authorities in the West Bank.
It welcomed the European positions affirming the illegality of Israeli colonialism in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, considering that the imposition of sanctions on colonial organizations and personalities that lead, incite and finance colonial terrorism constitutes a step in the right direction, but is insufficient unless they are supplemented by practical and deterrent measures to stop colonial expansion and hold those responsible accountable.