Hamas has called on Palestinians to rally at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday as Israeli settler incursions, restrictions on Muslim worshippers and efforts to expand Jewish religious rituals at the occupied holy site intensify.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called for broad public participation in Friday’s “Great Dawn” campaign in occupied Jerusalem, urging Palestinians to strengthen their presence at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the face of escalating Israeli violations and measures it says seek to Judaize the Islamic holy site.

Haroun Nasser al-Din, a member of Hamas’s political bureau and head of its Jerusalem Affairs Office, stressed in a statement on Thursday the importance of maintaining a strong Palestinian presence at the mosque and ensuring that worshippers continue to pray at the compound despite mounting restrictions.

He urged Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Palestinian communities inside the Green Line who can reach the mosque to participate in Friday’s activities and fill its courtyards with worshippers.

Nasser al-Din said the campaign would reaffirm Palestinians’ enduring attachment to Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, highlighting the holy city’s central place in Palestinian identity and its religious significance for Muslims worldwide.

He called on Islamic scholars, mosque preachers and community organizations to mobilize public support, encourage participation and raise awareness of Al-Aqsa Mosque’s religious and historical importance.

The Hamas official also appealed to Arab and Muslim governments, parliaments, peoples and international organizations to fulfill their responsibilities by taking concrete action to halt Israeli attacks and measures that he said were intended to Judaize Al-Aqsa and impose further Israeli control over the compound.

The appeal comes amid a sharp increase in Israeli settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, with Palestinian authorities reporting continued restrictions on Muslim worshippers while Israeli police facilitate settlers’ entry into the site.

According to the Islamic Waqf Department, approximately 1,895 Jewish settlers entered the mosque compound on Thursday under Israeli police protection. The Jerusalem Governorate also reported that settlers raised an Israeli flag opposite the Dome of the Rock, further heightening concerns over attempts to assert Israeli control over the occupied holy site.

On Wednesday, 2,468 settlers entered the compound, according to figures cited by Palestinian authorities. Their entry took place amid restrictions on Palestinian worshippers seeking access to the mosque, while Israeli police facilitated settler incursions and religious rituals inside the compound.

The scale of the incursions is reflected in the Jerusalem Governorate’s quarterly report, which recorded 27,830 settler entries into Al-Aqsa Mosque during the third quarter of this year.

The report also documented an expansion of openly performed Jewish religious rituals at the compound, including group prayers, prostration, the blowing of the shofar and the introduction of plant offerings.

Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities recorded 63 orders excluding individuals from Al-Aqsa Mosque during the same period. Those affected included mosque guards, employees, preachers, journalists, activists and other Palestinians.

Palestinians regard Al-Aqsa Mosque as an integral part of their religious and national identity and have repeatedly raised concerns over restrictions on Muslim worshippers and growing settler activity at the site.

The latest developments have renewed calls for greater public mobilization in occupied Jerusalem and international action to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque, preserve Muslim access to the compound and prevent further changes to its religious character and status. (ILKHA)