SAFA- The preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, said that Israeli authorities exploit Jewish holidays and religious occasions to escalate incursions into the mosque and carry out provocative measures aimed at creating new realities on the ground.

In press statements on Wednesday, Sabri said Israel has, in recent years, used its religious occasions as a pretext to organize large-scale incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, often led by Israeli ministers, officials, and Knesset members, in an attempt to provide political legitimacy for these violations.

He warned of the growing risks facing Al-Aqsa Mosque amid Israel’s accelerating policies aimed at changing its longstanding historical and legal status.

Sabri stressed that such incursions, regardless of the number of participants or the level of official support they receive, will not grant Israel any rights over Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing its presence there as an occupation and aggression that violates international law and Palestinian rights.

He also warned that the mosque faces serious dangers due to Israeli excavations, which have exposed parts of its foundations and removed large amounts of soil surrounding them.

Sabri said Israel is seeking to create conditions in which parts of Al-Aqsa could collapse or suffer major damage in a way that appears accidental or natural, paving the way for its demolition while limiting widespread reactions.

On Thursday, extremist temple groups are organizing a sizable crowd of settlers to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in observance of what they refer to as the anniversary of the "destruction of the Temple." The groups are seeking to bring more than 5,000 settlers into the mosque compound.