Occupied Jerusalem, January 08 (QNA) - Dozens of Israeli colonists entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Thursday under heavy protection from Israeli security forces, according to the Islamic Waqf authority in Jerusalem.

The Jordanian-run authority said the colonists entered the compound through the Mughrabi Gate, toured its courtyards and performed what it described as provocative Talmudic rituals near the Bab Al Rahma (Gate of Mercy) area on the eastern side of the mosque.

It added that around 15 members of Israeli intelligence services also entered the Al-Aqsa compound, while restrictions were imposed on Palestinian worshippers. Access to the mosque was tightened, with the identities of worshippers and Jerusalem residents reportedly confiscated at the outer gates.

The incident comes amid what Palestinian officials describe as an ongoing escalation by colonist groups, who regularly enter the Al-Aqsa compound almost daily, with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays, during morning and afternoon periods.

Palestinian authorities and religious bodies say such actions are aimed at imposing a temporal and spatial division of the site, one of Islam's holiest places and a long-standing focal point of tension between Israelis and Palestinians. (QNA)