Ramallah, April 09 (QNA) - The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the escalation of settler incursions into the courtyards of the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, accompanied by the performance of Talmudic chants and prayers within its grounds, under heavy protection from the occupation forces, and the assault on Palestinian worshipers.

In a statement Thursday, the Ministry affirmed that extending the hours of these incursions reflects a systematic escalation aimed at imposing new realities within the Al Aqsa Mosque compound and entrenching the policy of temporal division.

The Ministry emphasized that all measures taken by the occupation authorities in occupied Jerusalem, including organizing and expanding these incursions, are illegal and invalid, and constitute a grave violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions.

The Ministry also affirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem, and that sovereignty belongs to the State of Palestine.

It further emphasized that the Al Aqsa Mosque, with its entire 144-dunam area, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and categorically rejected any attempts to alter this reality or impose a temporal or spatial division of the site.

The Ministry held the Israeli occupation government fully responsible for this dangerous escalation and its repercussions, demanding an immediate halt to all forms of incursions and violations against the Al Aqsa Mosque and the lifting of restrictions imposed on worshippers' access to it.

The Ministry called on the international community and its institutions, especially as the Palestinian people prepare to celebrate national Christian holidays in the Holy Land, Palestine, to take urgent and effective action to stop Israeli violations, ensure the protection of Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, safeguard freedom of worship, and take deterrent measures to hold the occupation authorities accountable for their systematic crimes.(QNA)