'Israeli' settlers storm Aqsa Mosque under police protection

"Israeli" settlers stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque early Monday morning, accompanied by heavy protection from the Israeli Occupation police.

According to a statement from the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, dozens of settlers entered Al-Aqsa through the Mughrabi Gate in successive groups, conducting provocative tours and performing Talmudic rituals in the mosque's courtyards.

Additionally, the occupation police summoned seven Al-Aqsa Mosque guards for interrogation, heightening tensions in the holy city.

On Sunday, extremist Jewish groups known as the “Temple Mount groups” called for widespread incursions into Al-Aqsa coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which falls on December 25.

Since the onset of Israeli Occupation aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Oct. 7, 2023, occupation forces have intensified security measures at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem.