Dozens of extremist Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem on Monday morning, in a move denounced by Palestinian authorities as a violation of the sanctity of the Islamic holy site.

According to the Islamic Awqaf Administration, scores of settlers entered the compound through the Maghariba Gate under heavy Israeli police protection. During their tour, some settlers performed Talmudic prayers and provocative rituals in the mosque’s courtyards, while rabbis reportedly delivered lectures about the so-called “Temple Mount.”

The incursion occurred amid heightened restrictions imposed by Israeli forces on Palestinian Muslim worshipers. Witnesses and officials said that many worshipers were barred from entering Al-Aqsa, and that police deployed at entrances and gates conducted strict checks and denied access to several individuals.

The latest events have raised tensions in the Old City, with Palestinian leaders condemning the visits as part of ongoing efforts to alter the historical and religious status quo at the sacred site. Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, remains a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The repeated incursions by settler groups and the accompanying police restrictions on Palestinian worshipers have drawn international criticism and are frequently cited by rights groups as provocations that risk inflaming religious tensions. (ILKHA)