More than 1,500 settlers and two ministers in the occupation government storm Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Hundreds of settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday under the protection of Israeli occupation forces. The settlers, who are known as the "Minister of National Security" in the extremist occupation government, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and his wife participated, as did the so-called "Minister of the Negev and Galilee", Yitzhak Wasserlauf, and members of the Knesset, including Knesset member from the "Jewish Power" party, Yitzhak Kroizer, on the anniversary of the occupation of the eastern part of Jerusalem.

In a video clip he filmed in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and posted on the X platform, Ben-Gvir said, "There are actually a large number of Jews flocking here, and it's fun to see that."

He added, "Today, thank God, it has become possible to pray here and prostrate here. We thank God for that," he said.

Local sources reported that approximately 1,500 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and performed provocative Talmudic rituals in its courtyards. Meanwhile, a settler raised the occupation flag and danced in the eastern part of the mosque. This coincided with the deployment of iron barriers by the occupation police around Damascus Gate and the Old City to restrict access to Jerusalemites amidst tight military measures.

Eyewitnesses reported that settlers attempted to bring so-called "Torah scrolls" into Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Mughrabi Gate. Hundreds of settlers also gathered in Al-Buraq Square, west of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and at the Qattanin Gate, where they performed Talmudic dances and rituals.

The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department said in a statement that 1,427 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning in groups, under the protection and escort of Israeli police, adding that more may storm the mosque in the afternoon.

Settlers posted video clips of Likud Knesset member Amit Halevi performing Talmudic prayers on the eastern side of the mosque during the raid.

It's worth noting that settler incursions and harassment of worshippers have increased in recent days, amid calls by extremist colonialist groups for further, more intense incursions on Monday.

The provocative "Flag March" is scheduled to begin from Al-Buraq Square, passing through Bab al-Amud and the al-Wad neighborhood within the Old City. These areas are densely populated with Palestinian residents, and since Sunday, Israeli occupation forces have deployed iron barriers around Bab al-Amud, at the entrance to the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

Since 2003, settlers have been storming Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli occupation forces five days a week. Over the past ten years, they have begun performing silent public prayers during their incursions, including performing Talmudic rituals and raising the flag of the occupying state inside the mosque.

The so-called "Temple Organizations" are seeking to gradually impose the presence of Talmudic ritual tools in Al-Aqsa. In recent years, they have allowed the entry of dhikr books, prayer garments, and other items. Now, these groups are attempting to introduce more symbolic items such as Torah scrolls, menorahs, metal trumpets, and even altars and animal sacrifices. This constitutes a clear escalation aimed at changing the Islamic character of the mosque.

Since the beginning of the comprehensive Israeli aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in October 2023, the colonial occupation's assault on the city of Jerusalem, its holy sites, and its Palestinian citizens has accelerated.