Jerusalem, February 03 (QNA) - Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the courtyards of the Al Aqsa Mosque compound on Tuesday under heavy protection from Israeli occupation forces, according to local sources.

Sources in occupied Jerusalem reported that settlers entered the compound through Al Mughrabi Gate and carried out provocative tours amid a heightened security deployment by Israeli forces.

The incursion comes amid intensified Israeli measures restricting access to Al Aqsa, including expulsion orders targeting Jerusalemites and Palestinians from inside Israel, coinciding with the approach of the holy month of Ramadan, in an apparent effort to limit the presence of worshippers and guardians at the site.

The Jerusalem Governorate previously reported that 4,397 settlers stormed the Al Aqsa compound during January, in addition to 7,868 others who entered under the guise of tourism. (QNA)