Dozens of Jewish settlers, under heavy protection from Israeli occupation police, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Thursday morning.

The settlers conducted provocative tours and performed Talmudic rituals within the courtyards of the mosque, escalating tensions in the area.

The settlers accessed the mosque through the Mughrabi Gate in successive groups, where they were seen engaging in religious practices, including one settler who notably placed Tefillin prayer boxes on his head and prayed inside the mosque. Rabbi Yisrael Shalit led additional public prayers and calls following the group's entry.

The Israeli forces significantly increased security measures around Jerusalem's Old City and at Al-Aqsa Mosque's gates, severely limiting Palestinian access to the site. This incident comes in the wake of recent celebrations by settlers during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which included dancing, singing, and parties in the mosque's eastern area near the Bab al-Rahmah prayer space.

The incursions are part of a broader pattern, spurred by calls from so-called "Temple groups" advocating for large-scale entries during the Hanukkah holiday, which ran from December 26 for a week. Notably, on the first day of Hanukkah, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led a group of settlers into Al-Aqsa's courtyards.

In response, Palestinian groups have called for an increased presence at Al-Aqsa to counteract the settlers' actions and to protect the mosque from what they describe as the occupation government's plans to exert control over the site. (ILKHA)