Scores of extremist Israeli settlers stormed the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday, carrying out provocative acts under the tight protection of Israeli forces, who simultaneously imposed harsh restrictions on Muslim worshipers.

According to local sources and Palestinian officials, at least 833 settlers entered the holy site through the Maghariba Gate. Once inside the mosque's courtyards, the groups, led by extremist rabbis, were given lectures on Jewish claims to the area, which Palestinians refer to as the Noble Sanctuary (Haram al-Sharif).

In a move widely seen as a deliberate attempt to alter the status quo of the Islamic holy site, a number of the settlers performed Talmudic rituals and prayers in the eastern area of the mosque compound. Such acts are considered a profound desecration and a direct provocation against Muslim religious rights and sentiments.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police enforced a starkly different set of rules for Palestinians. At the various gates leading to Al-Aqsa, authorities severely restricted movement and barred numerous Muslim worshipers from entering the mosque to perform their prayers. This policy of preventing access for Palestinians while facilitating the entry of extremist settlers has been condemned as a systematic effort to undermine the Islamic character of Jerusalem.

The incident is the latest in a repeated pattern of incursions by extremist groups, backed by the Israeli state, which Palestinians see as part of a broader campaign to consolidate control over occupied East Jerusalem and erase its Palestinian and Muslim identity. The international community considers East Jerusalem occupied territory, and Israeli settlements and actions there are illegal under international law. (ILKHA)