ISTANBUL

Groups of illegal Israeli settlers on Thursday stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem under the protection of Israeli police, local sources said.

The official news agency Wafa, citing the sources, said the illegal settlers entered the compound in groups, carried out provocative tours and performed Talmudic rituals while heavily guarded by Israeli forces.

On Tuesday, the Jerusalem Governorate said that a total of 182 illegal Israeli settlers forced their way into the flashpoint site during morning and evening incursions and performed Talmudic rituals near the Dome of the Rock in the complex under the protection of Israeli police.

The governorate also noted that 778 foreign tourists also entered the mosque through a gate operated by the Israeli authorities.

According to official figures, 4,266 illegal settlers and around 15,000 foreign tourists accessed the mosque compound during November.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area 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.