Jerusalem: Dozens of illegal Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on the fifth day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, as reported by Palestinian media.

According to Anadolu Agency, illegal settlers entered the contentious site and engaged in Talmudic and provocative rituals within the mosque courtyards while under the protection of Israeli police. The official news agency Wafa indicated that this incursion is part of a series of ongoing Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographics of the mosque and East Jerusalem.

Palestinian residents of the occupied East Jerusalem frequently face harassment during these settler raids, which include physical assaults on worshippers and restrictions on access to the mosque. Ramadan, which began on Wednesday in several Arab and Muslim countries including Palestine, often sees Israel imposing heightened security measures in occupied East Jerusalem and its surroundings, further restricting Palestinian access to Al-Aqsa.

The practice of allowing settler incursions into the mosque compound began in 2003, sanctioned by Israeli police despite repeated appeals from the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem for a halt to these actions. Al-Aqsa Mosque holds the position of the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Meanwhile, Jews refer to the area as Temple Mount, asserting it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Palestinians regard occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, as the capital of their future state. Conversely, Israel considers Jerusalem, encompassing both its eastern and western sectors, as its capital.