Jerusalem, MINA – On Tuesday, the Aqsa Mosque compound in Occupied Jerusalem witnessed a large-scale incursion by extremist Jewish settlers, who entered the site under heavy Israeli police protection. According to the Islamic Awqaf Administration, at least 693 settlers entered the Mosque through the Maghariba Gate during both the morning and afternoon hours.
The settlers, accompanied by rabbis, received religious lectures on what they claim to be the “temple mount” and performed Talmudic rituals in several areas of the compound, particularly in the eastern section and on the steps leading to the Dome of the Rock’s plateau. These actions have been deemed provocative by local Muslim authorities and worshipers.
At the same time, Israeli occupation police enforced strict entry restrictions on Muslim worshipers, barring many from accessing the holy site. Eyewitnesses reported a heavy police presence and multiple instances of Muslims being turned away at various gates of the Mosque.
Senior Hamas official Haroun Nasiruddin condemned the actions of the settlers, especially the prayers performed on the staircase near the Dome of the Rock. He labeled these acts as part of “daily violations against the Islamic sanctity and identity of the Aqsa Mosque.”
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Nasiruddin further warned that the settlers’ activities were part of a broader, systematic Israeli effort to divide the Mosque both temporally and spatially, suggesting a long-term plan to convert parts of the Mosque’s courtyards into spaces designated for Jewish worship. He blamed the Israeli occupation government and associated temple groups for backing such efforts. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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