East jerusalem: More than 120 illegal Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday under police protection, a Palestinian official said.

According to Anadolu Agency, the official from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, who preferred not to be named, stated that 121 illegal settlers entered the flashpoint site - 59 in the morning period and 62 after the noon prayer. The incursions occurred in groups through the Moroccan Gate in the western wall of the mosque, under the protection of Israeli police.

During the raids, the illegal settlers performed prayers and Talmudic rituals, contributing to the ongoing violations of the mosque's sanctity, the official added. Since 2003, Israeli police have permitted illegal settlers to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound despite repeated objections from the Islamic Waqf, which administers the site.

Violations at the compound have increased since far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir assumed office as Israel's national security minister in late 2022, with Ben-Gvir and other ministers and members of the Knesset participating in such visits, Palestinian officials said.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, and it annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.