Hundreds of extremist Jewish settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Thursday, the fifth day of the Passover holiday, under heavy Israeli police protection.

According to al-Qastal news agency, 1,671 settlers entered the sacred Islamic site through the Maghariba Gate, touring its courtyards while performing Talmudic prayers and receiving lectures from rabbis about the so-called "temple mount," in a direct affront to the mosque’s sanctity.

The settlers’ actions extended beyond the mosque, with hundreds defiling the historic Bab al-Rahma Muslim cemetery, located along the eastern wall of the Al-Aqsa compound. Meanwhile, thousands of settlers gathered at the Buraq Wall (the western wall of the mosque) and roamed the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City, some playing Jewish songs through loudspeakers and dancing in groups near the mosque’s gates, further escalating tensions.

Israeli occupation forces intensified their crackdown on Palestinian worshipers, imposing severe restrictions on their access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Dozens of Muslims were barred from entering the holy site, with police enforcing tight controls at the mosque’s entrances and gates, effectively prioritizing settler incursions over the religious rights of Palestinians.

These aggressive actions are part of a broader pattern of Israeli violations against one of Islam’s holiest sites, aimed at altering the religious and demographic character of occupied Jerusalem. Palestinian activists and religious leaders have condemned the incursions, calling for international action to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and uphold the rights of Muslim worshipers in the face of ongoing Israeli aggression. (ILKHA)