Dozens of illegal Israeli settlers have stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East Jerusalem under the protection of Israeli forces, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Local sources said illegal settlers entered the compound and publicly performed Talmudic rituals in its courtyards under Israeli protection on Thursday morning, Wafa added.
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.
Israeli police have allowed illegal settlers to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound daily, except on Fridays and Saturdays, since 2003.
Illegal Israeli settlers stormed the mosque 30 times in April, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs.
Palestinians say Israel has intensified efforts for decades to Judaise occupied East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase the city’s Palestinian and Islamic identity.
Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, citing international resolutions that do not recognise Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967 or its illegal annexation in 1980.
