Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in Provocative Move Against Palestinian Worshipers

Thursday’s raid by the radical settlers was carried out under heavy protection from Israeli forces, Ma’an news agency reported, citing eyewitnesses.

According to the sources, the settlers raised Israeli flags and danced provocatively in the area.

The occupation troops also stationed soldiers inside and around the mosque to prevent settlers from entering, said the eyewitnesses.

Hundreds of Palestinians, including young men, were also attacked by Israeli soldiers in the courtyards of mosques throughout the Bab al-Amoud area and the Old City. They attempted to force Palestinians to leave the site so that colonizers could tour it, which sparked protests.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas urged Palestinians from all walks of life to mobilize in large numbers, increase their presence at the mosque's compound, and defend the sacred site from repeated incursions by Israeli settlers.

“We hail the Palestinian people in occupied Palestinian territories and across the West Bank who stand steadfast against the Israeli occupation violations and crimes,” it said in a statement.

Hamas also calls on the Arab and Muslim Ummah, as well as the free people of the world, to "support the Palestinian people's steadfastness and work toward protecting them from the Israeli occupation's violations."

Thousands of Palestinian worshipers arrived at al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday morning to perform Friday prayers in its courtyards, despite Israeli restrictions.

In recent weeks, Israeli settler incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque have increased in response to the arrival of a new far-right extremist regime led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Such large-scale settler incursions almost always occur at the request of Tel Aviv-backed temple groups and under the supervision of Israeli police in al-Quds, resulting in daily clashes with Palestinians at the mosque, with many injured, arrested, and killed.

For decades, the issue has been a major source of contention between the Israeli occupation and Palestinians. It was the epicenter of the Palestinian Intifada, also known as the uprising, from 2000 to 2005.