At least 300 Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday morning, desecrating the Islamic holy site under the protection of Israeli occupation police as they marked what they call the Hebrew New Year.

According to local sources, the settlers entered the mosque compound in successive groups through the Maghariba Gate, one of the gates controlled by Israeli authorities, and toured the courtyards under heavy police protection.

During their provocative incursions, the settlers received lectures from rabbis promoting claims related to the alleged Jewish Temple on the site. Several settlers also performed Talmudic prayers and other religious rituals, further escalating tensions at the sacred compound.

The incursions came amid heightened restrictions imposed by Israeli occupation forces on Palestinian Muslims seeking to access Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli police tightened controls at the compound's entrances and gates, restricting the movement of Palestinian worshipers and preventing many from entering the holy site.

Palestinians have repeatedly condemned the increasing settler incursions into Al-Aqsa, viewing them as part of an escalating campaign to alter the historic status quo of the mosque and expand Israeli control over the Islamic holy site.

Under the longstanding arrangements governing Al-Aqsa, Muslims are permitted to worship at the compound, while non-Muslims may visit under specific conditions but are traditionally barred from conducting religious rituals there.

The repeated entry of Israeli settlers accompanied by police protection, together with restrictions on Palestinian worshipers, has intensified concerns among Palestinians and Muslim authorities over what they describe as attempts to impose new realities at the mosque.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam's third-holiest site and lies at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians regard any changes to its historic status quo as a serious threat to their religious rights and to the future of occupied East Jerusalem.

The latest incursions are likely to further heighten tensions in the occupied city, where Israeli authorities have continued to tighten restrictions on Palestinian movement and access to holy sites. (ILKHA)