Groups of Israeli settlers entered the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday morning under police protection, as access for Palestinian worshippers was heavily restricted, according to the Islamic Awqaf authorities in Jerusalem.

The Islamic Awqaf Department said dozens of settlers entered the site in organized groups through the Maghariba Gate, touring the courtyards under the escort of Israeli police forces.

Witnesses and Awqaf officials said the incursions were accompanied by religious rituals, including lectures by rabbis inside the compound and the performance of Talmudic prayers by some of the settlers. Social media footage reportedly showed several settlers performing full prostration near the Dome of the Rock, an act viewed by Muslim authorities as a deliberate provocation inside the Islamic holy site.

At the same time, Israeli police imposed strict restrictions on Palestinian access to the mosque, blocking many worshippers from entering and limiting movement at key gates, according to local sources and Awqaf officials.

The developments come amid a continuing pattern of repeated settler entries into the compound, which Palestinians and Islamic authorities describe as violations of the historical and legal status quo governing one of Islam’s holiest sites.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, located in occupied East Jerusalem, is administered by the Islamic Awqaf under Jordanian custodianship, while access and security control remain under Israeli authorities.

Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that such incursions, combined with restrictions on Muslim worshippers, risk inflaming tensions across the occupied city and beyond.

The latest incident follows a series of similar settler visits in recent weeks, which have coincided with heightened restrictions on Palestinian entry during peak prayer times, particularly during periods of political and security tension in the region.

Islamic authorities have called for international intervention to preserve the status quo at the holy site and prevent further escalation, warning that continued violations could have serious consequences for stability in Jerusalem. (ILKHA)