Scores of extremist Jewish settlers escorted by police forces desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem on Sunday morning to mark what they call the Hebrew new year.
According to the Islamic Awqaf Administration since the morning hours Israeli police forces have embarked on providing protection for large numbers of settlers who provocatively entered and toured the Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards.
Meanwhile police officers prevented Muslim worshipers under age 50 from entering the Islamic holy site harassed and assaulted a number of them and detained some of them.
The police also intercepted Palestinian students as they were trying to reach their religious schools inside the Aqsa Mosque and searched their bags.
Extremist rabbi Yehuda Glick was among dozens of settlers who entered the Mosque through al-Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards in different groups under tight police guard.
During their tours at the Islamic holy site the settlers received lectures from rabbis about the alleged temple mount and a number of them provocatively performed Talmudic prayers.
A number of settlers were reportedly seen performing full prostration with their bodies pressed flat on the ground inside the Mosque compound.
Local sources said that Israeli police officers savagely attacked some Jerusalemite activists including women at the Aqsa Mosque’s Silsila Gate after they expressed their protest when a Jewish settler blew a trumpet (shofar) inside the Aqsa Mosque.
