A total of 223 Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday morning under heavy protection from Israeli police forces, according to the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem.

The settlers entered the holy site through the Magharibeh Gate and conducted provocative tours of the mosque courtyards, while some reportedly performed religious rituals in the eastern section of the compound.

The Waqf Department said the latest incursion was part of a continuing pattern of repeated settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.

At the same time, Israeli police tightened restrictions on Palestinian worshipers attempting to enter the mosque compound and confiscated identification cards from Palestinians at the outer gates, according to the department.

The contrasting treatment of Israeli settlers and Palestinian worshipers has fueled growing concerns over increasing restrictions on Palestinian access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Palestinians and Islamic authorities have repeatedly condemned settler incursions into the compound, warning that such actions undermine the historic status quo governing the holy site and increase tensions in occupied Jerusalem.

The latest incident comes amid escalating Israeli measures affecting Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinian worshipers, with Palestinians facing tighter access restrictions while Israeli settlers continue to enter the compound under police protection.

Al-Aqsa Mosque remains a central symbol of Palestinian identity and a major flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Repeated incursions and restrictions on Muslim worshipers have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians and Muslim-majority countries, who have called for the protection of the mosque and preservation of its historic Islamic character. (ILKHA)