Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed on Monday morning Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque—the third holiest site in Islam—via the Maghareba Gate.
Media chief at Jerusalem’s Awqaf Department Firas al-Dabes said over 90 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 that lasted for about four hours.
Six members of Israel’s court authority also showed up at the site during the break-in.
Dozens more are expected to show up at the site in the next few hours.
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.
