Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed on Thursday morning al-Aqsa Mosque—the third holiest site in Islam—via the Maghareba Gate.
88 Israeli settlers escorted by policemen broke into al-Aqsa Mosque as part of the morning break-in shift and carried out a round of sacrilegious tours.
Four Israeli intelligence officers along with 56 government officials also defiled the site.
Dozens more are expected to show up at the site during the afternoon break-in shift.
At the same time the peaceful Muslim worshipers have been subjected to tough crackdowns and restrictions by the Israeli police near the main entrances to the site. Several worshipers have been searched and dozens more have had their IDs seized while attempting to enter al-Aqsa to perform their daily prayers.
