Dozens of Israeli settlers entered the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday under the protection of Israeli occupation police, amid continued restrictions imposed on Palestinian Muslim worshipers seeking access to the revered Islamic holy site.

According to local Palestinian sources, groups of settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound through the Maghariba Gate in successive tours during the morning hours and later in the afternoon. The incursions took place under heavy security measures implemented by Israeli police forces stationed throughout the compound.

Witnesses reported that settlers toured various areas of the mosque courtyards while receiving explanations from rabbis concerning what they refer to as the "Temple Mount." During the visits, several settlers reportedly performed Talmudic rituals and prayers, actions widely viewed by Palestinians as provocative and a violation of the site's historic and religious status quo.

Local sources also said that a group of settlers gathered near the iconic Dome of the Rock, where they carried Israeli flags and sang the Israeli national anthem, drawing criticism from Palestinian worshipers and religious authorities.

At the same time, Israeli occupation police were reported to have imposed strict measures at the entrances and gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, subjecting Palestinian worshipers to identity checks and movement restrictions. According to witnesses, many Muslims were prevented from entering the site to perform prayers.

Palestinian officials and Islamic institutions have repeatedly warned that the increasing frequency of settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa compound, accompanied by religious rituals and nationalist displays, threatens the historic status of one of Islam’s holiest sites and risks further inflaming tensions in the occupied city.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, is the third-holiest site in Islam and remains a focal point of the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation. Palestinians regard the repeated settler incursions and restrictions on Muslim worshipers as part of broader efforts to alter the religious and demographic character of occupied Jerusalem.

The latest incident comes amid continuing tensions across the occupied Palestinian territories, where concerns have grown over increased restrictions on worship, settlement expansion, and repeated incursions into religious sites.

Palestinian religious leaders have called on the international community to take action to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and uphold the rights of Palestinian worshipers, warning that continued violations at the holy site could further destabilize an already volatile situation in the region. (ILKHA)