Groups of thousands of Israeli settlers yesterday carried out unprecedented incursions into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque from the direction of the Mughrabi Gate.

The intruders, led by extremist minister Itamar Ben Gvir, performed religious rituals in all corners, including areas of the sanctuary that had been prohibited to them and restricted to Muslims throughout the 59 years of occupation. Under heavy protection from occupation forces, the intruders raised Israeli flags and sang 'Hatikvah' (the national anthem) near the Grand Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

The Islamic Waqf Department in occupied East Jerusalem confirmed that unprecedented large numbers of settlers, estimated in the thousands, stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque during the morning and afternoon periods, and carried out provocative tours in its courtyards, interspersed with performing Talmudic rituals.

Occupation forces imposed strict restrictions on the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the entrances to the Old City, turning them into a military barracks, and deployed their forces inside the mosque courtyards. They also prevented a number of Muslim worshippers from entering, subjected others to searches and identity checks, and treated them violently.

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