Israeli police officers stormed the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall at the Aqsa Mosque compound during Friday prayers, according to Jerusalem affairs researcher Ziyad Abhais.

Abhais said the raid was part of broader Israeli measures aimed at changing the status quo at the holy site and asserting greater control over the Aqsa Mosque compound.

In remarks posted on social media, Abhais said the measures were being pursued along two main lines.

The first, he said, involves what Israel presents as the exercise of sovereignty over the site, including the deployment of armed police patrols among Muslim worshipers during prayers.

The second, he added, involves efforts to take control of the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall and establish it as a focal point for implementing a spatial division of the Aqsa Mosque compound.

Abhais said Israeli police do not recognize Bab al-Rahma as a prayer hall and have continued to remove worshipers and mosque guards from the site.

He also accused Israeli police officers of entering the prayer hall without removing their shoes, describing the practice as part of efforts to impose what he called a new reality at the Aqsa Mosque.

Abhais called for a continued Muslim presence in and around the Bab al-Rahma prayer hall, saying this was necessary to counter the measures and preserve the site's existing status.

He also urged the continuation of efforts launched seven years ago to protect the prayer hall and maintain Muslim access to the area.

The Aqsa Mosque compound, located in occupied East Jerusalem's Old City, is one of Islam's holiest sites and remains a frequent flashpoint amid tensions over access, worship and control of the compound. (ILKHA)