Scores of Israeli settlers on Monday morning broke into al-Aqsa Mosque via al-Maghareba Gate under heavy police protection.
Public relations official of the Jerusalem Islamic Awqaf Department Feras al-Dibs told the PIC that 244 settlers as well as two Israeli intelligence officers stormed al-Aqsa Mosque during the morning hours.
The PIC reporter said that a plane belonging to the Israeli police kept hovering at a low altitude over the Mosque during the raid.
Meanwhile he added thousands of Israeli settlers gathered in al-Buraq square in the western side of al-Aqsa Mosque and started to perform Talmudic rituals as part of their celebrations of Passover Holiday which started two days ago and will continue until the end of this week.
The number of settlers breaking into the Mosque is expected to increase later in the day because the Israeli police has allowed a second round of incursions after the Muslim noon prayer.
Over 200 Israeli settlers stormed the holy site during Sunday’s incursions and performed Talmudic rituals at the Dome of the Rock.
The Israeli police had ordered a number of Aqsa guards not to enter the Mosque during settlers’ incursions.
