GAZA CITY, Palestine

Hamas has called on Palestinians to rally up on Friday to break an Israeli “siege” on the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

"We urge our people to urgently participate in defending Al-Aqsa Mosque against the Israeli aggression," the Palestinian group said in a statement on Thursday.

It called on Palestinian residents of Jerusalem “to commit to only performing prayers in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Israel has restricted access of Palestinian worshippers into the mosque amid growing tensions across the occupied West Bank due to Tel Aviv’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack, which has left more than 31,300 people dead since last October.

The Hamas’ call comes as Palestinians prepare to mark the first mass Friday prayers during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area 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. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul