Jerusalem: Nearly 600 Israeli occupiers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday under Israeli police protection, a local official told Anadolu.

According to Anadolu Agency, 'At least 584 occupiers stormed the mosque compound during the morning period through the Moroccan Gate in its western wall under police protection,' an official from the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said, requesting anonymity. Additional groups are expected to enter the mosque compound after noon prayers, the official added.

Eyewitnesses reported that the incursions included Talmudic rituals, prayers, and dancing, activities that violate the longstanding status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Thursday marks the first day of a new month in the Hebrew calendar, a time when Israeli incursions into the mosque compound typically increase.

Israel unilaterally began allowing occupiers to storm the mosque compound in 2003. Since then, these incursions have taken place daily except on Fridays and Saturdays, with the number of participants increasing over the years. Al-Aqsa Mosque is regarded as the world's third-holiest site for Muslims, while Jews refer to the area as Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.