Dozens of illegal Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday under heavy police protection as tensions continue to boil across the occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities said.
The Jerusalem Governorate said the settlers moved through the compoundâs courtyards and carried out provocative religious rituals, including what is referred to as âepic prostration,â near Bab al-Rahma gate and the Dome of the Rock mosque inside the complex.
Groups affiliated with the so-called Temple movement circulated calls encouraging more settlers to storm the flashpoint site and raise Israeli flags inside its courtyards, the governorate added in a statement carried by the official news agency Wafa.
The incursion came as Israeli police continued to tighten restrictions across occupied East Jerusalem by setting up checkpoints, closing roads and limiting access for worshippers to the mosque.
Since early April, the pace of such incursions has increased, with Israeli settlers performing public rituals inside the compound.
Third-holiest site for Muslims
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