Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War
Illegal Israeli settlers staged 22 intrusions into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem last month, Palestinian authorities said on Wednesday.
"The Israeli occupation forces and settlers escalated their attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque in December,” the Awqaf Ministry said in a statement.
“These intrusion aim to create a new reality in the mosque by allowing settlers to perform Jewish religious rituals,” it added.
Israeli police, the ministry said, provide protection for the settler raids, hinder the work of the mosque guards and restrict Muslim worshippers through arrests and searches.
On Sunday, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, accompanied by settlers, forced his way into the flashpoint site, and performed rituals in one of the tunnels beneath the Western Wall (Al-Buraq Wall).
Last week, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir broke into the mosque to mark a Jewish holiday under heavy police protection.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying 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.
