Dozens of Jewish settlers escorted by police forces on Wednesday morning desecrated the Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards and Bab al-Rahma prayer area.

According to local sources, scores of settlers entered the Mosque in groups through al-Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards under police guard.

The settlers also toured the Mosque’s eastern area where some of them performed Jewish rituals.

The Israeli occupation authority in Occupied Jerusalem prevents the Islamic Awqaf Department from carrying out renovations at the Aqsa Mosque’s eastern area in an attempt to make it look like a neglected and abandoned place as a prelude to seizing it, according to Palestinian Awqaf officials.

Recently, the Israeli occupation police continually allowed settlers to intensify their presence at the eastern area of the Mosque and perform rituals there and expelled Muslim worshipers from the area.

The Aqsa Mosque is exposed to daily desecration by Jewish settlers and police forces in the morning and the afternoon except on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Israeli police close al-Maghariba Gate, which is used by Jews to enter the Mosque, at 10:30 am after the settlers complete their morning tours at the holy site. Later in the afternoon, the same gate is reopened for evening tours by settlers.

During the presence of settlers inside the Mosque compound, entry restrictions are imposed on Muslim worshipers at the entrances leading to the Mosque and their IDs are seized until they leave the holy place.

The Israeli police, who have no jurisdiction over the Aqsa Mosque, also issue or extend arbitrary entry bans ordering Jerusalemite citizens and figures not to enter the Islamic holy site for weeks or months.

After the Islamic Awqaf authority in Jerusalem reopened the Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshipers on May 31 following its closure for over two months as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Israeli police intensified the banishment of Palestinian citizens from the Islamic holy site.

During the last few weeks, Aqsa entry ban orders were issued against dozens of Jerusalemite figures, Aqsa employees and activists.

Such illegal policy is believed to be part of practices aimed at allowing Jewish settlers to perform rituals without Palestinian opposition and paving the way for the Israeli occupation state to control the holy site.