News - Middle East: Illegal Israeli settlers have stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli forces, aiming to gradually change the centuries-old Islamic character of the compound. 

The settlers stormed the courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Al-Quds on Sunday, under the protection of armed occupation forces.

The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), quoting eyewitnesses, reported that the illegal settlers entered al-Aqsa Mosque and performed Talmudic rituals.

The Hebrew-language site Srugim reported that the ritual was led by far-right Rabbi and former Knesset member Yehuda Glick, a prominent advocate of expanding Jewish access to the Muslim site.

The group held prayers for US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated earlier this month. The Turning Point USA founder, who had repeatedly warned US President Donald Trump to follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, feared pro-Israeli forces before his death.

In the meantime, the so-called "Temple Mount" organizations continue to mobilize as many settlers as possible to carry out large-scale collective incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque during the Jewish holiday season.

Since 2003, settlers have been storming al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli occupation forces five days a week.

In the past ten years, they began performing silent public prayers during their incursions, escalating to performing Talmudic rituals and raising the Israeli flag inside the mosque.

The Temple Mount organizations are seeking to gradually impose the presence of Talmudic ritual tools in al-Aqsa Mosque, representing a clear escalation aimed at changing the Islamic character of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Since Israel launched the genocidal war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the Zionist aggression has also intensified in the West Bank, with more than 68,000 illegal settlers storming the al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of occupation forces.

Source: Press TV