Palestine Foreign Ministry: Israel fanning flames of religious tensions by allowing al-Aqsa incursions

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has condemned Israeli settler’s latest raids on the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of al-Quds, saying the Tel Aviv regime is fanning the flames of religious tensions by allowing such incursions into the holy site.

The ministry made the remarks in a statement on Sunday, hours after hundreds of Israeli settlers, escorted by military forces, stormed the compound ahead of the so-called flag march, which has already escalated tensions across the occupied territories, Palestine’s official Wafa news agency reported.

“Since the early hours of the morning, the Israeli occupation regime has facilitated and protected unlawful and highly incendiary raids by Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound,” the ministry said.

The development provides “ample evidence that the Israeli regime's actions and policies are in complete alignment with these extreme racist elements that are fanning the flames of religious tension in al-Quds and whose goal is the complete ethnic cleansing of the capital,” it added.

Dozens of Israeli settlers storm Aqsa Mosque ahead of far-right Israeli flag parade

About 1,800 Israeli settlers, escorted by military forces, have stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of al-Quds.

About 1,800 Israeli settlers entered al-Aqsa Mosque through the Moroccan Gate on Sunday morning.

In the meantime, Israeli troops were stationed at the main praying building of the compound, which sits on the southern side of the complex, besieging Palestinian worshipers inside the scared site.

The settlers then performed Talmudic rituals at the site, which is venerated by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

The development came as thousands of extremist Jewish Israeli settlers are due to hold a far-right march through Muslim areas of the holy city amid Palestinian warnings it could trigger serious confrontations.

The so-called Flag March, which attracts hundreds of Jewish settlers and far-right extremists, celebrates the Israeli regime's capture of East al-Quds in the 1967 war.

The Palestinian ministry further held Israeli authorities responsible for the “provocative parade” and its repercussions, adding that Israel is restricted by international law to act only as the temporary administrator of the Palestinian territory, including East al-Quds.

It further stressed that according to United Nations resolutions, “Israel has no rightful claim or sovereignty” over any part of the occupied East al-Quds.

“The situation on the ground is highly volatile and requires immediate international intervention by all relevant actors,” it said, noting that Palestinians, and indeed the region, need protection from the Israeli regime’s “hostile agenda.”

Israel draws strong condemnation by allowing settlers to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque

Settlers regularly crowd the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of East al-Quds under the protection of the regime’s forces.

The al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and located in the occupied Old City of al-Quds, is a flash point. Under a 1967 deal between Israel and Jordan, the compound’s custodian, non-Muslim worship is prohibited at the site. In defiance of the agreement, Israel allows settlers to enter the site and carry out religious rituals.

Recently, there has been a sheer escalation of atrocities by the Israeli regime against Palestinian worshipers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Outraged by the Israeli barbarity, Palestinian resistance groups have intensified their operations throughout the occupied territories.

The clashes in al-Quds had sparked fears of another armed conflict similar to an 11-day war in May last year between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas.

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