150 Israeli occupiers storm Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy police protection

Some 150 Israeli occupiers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday under heavy police protection, Palestinian media reported.

The official news agency Wafa, citing the Jerusalem Governorate, said the occupiers entered the flashpoint site through the Mughrabi Gate and carried out provocative tours in its courtyards.

The Al-Qastal website, which focuses on Jerusalem-related affairs, said the occupiers performed Talmudic rituals during the incursion.

Israeli police imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshippers as part of ongoing measures to limit their access to the mosque.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Since 2003, Israeli police have unilaterally allowed the occupiers to enter the mosque daily during two periods—morning and afternoon prayers—except on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem, which oversees the mosque, has repeatedly called for a halt to these incursions, but Israeli authorities have not responded.

Since Itamar Ben-Gvir became Israel’s National Security Minister at the end of 2022, violations at the mosque have increased.

Palestinians say Israel is intensifying efforts to Judaize East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity.

The Palestinians regard East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, based on international resolutions that do not recognize Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967 or its annexation in 1980.