Dozens of Jewish settlers on Tuesday morning broke into the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem and desecrated its courtyards under police protection.
According to local sources about 52 settlers escorted by police officers carried out provocative tours in the Mosque’s courtyards and some of them performed Talmudic rituals.
The Aqsa Mosque is exposed to daily desecration by Jewish settlers and police forces in the morning and the afternoon except on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Israeli police close al-Maghariba Gate which is used by Jews to enter the Mosque at 10:30 am after the settlers complete their morning tours at the holy site. Later in the afternoon the same gate is reopened for evening tours by settlers.
During the presence of settlers inside the Mosque compound entry restrictions are imposed on Muslim worshipers at the entrances leading to the Mosque and their IDs are seized until they leave the holy place.
The Israeli occupation police who have no jurisdiction over the Aqsa Mosque also issue or extend arbitrary entry bans ordering Jerusalemite citizens and figures not to enter the Islamic holy site for weeks or months.
Recently after the Islamic Awqaf authority in Jerusalem reopened the Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshipers following its closure for over two months as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus the Israeli police intensified the banishment of Palestinian citizens from the Islamic holy site.
During the last few days Aqsa entry ban orders were issued against dozens of Jerusalemite figures Aqsa employees and activists.
Such illegal policy is believed to be part of practices aimed at allowing Jewish settlers to perform rituals without Palestinian opposition and paving the way for the Israeli occupation state to control the holy site.
