SAFA- Hamas official Majed Abu Qteish said Israeli settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound are being carried out with the backing and protection of the Israeli government as part of efforts to Judaize the holy site and consolidate Israeli control over it.

In a press statement, Abu Qteish said the growing number of settler incursions and the performance of Hebrew prayers inside the compound are aimed at imposing a new reality. He warned that the continued actions constitute escalating violations of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

He called for increased ribat (religious presence) and urged Palestinians and all those able to reach the mosque to strengthen their presence in its courtyards. He said such efforts would reaffirm the mosque's Islamic identity and help thwart Israeli plans to impose temporal and spatial division and advance the Judaization of the site.

Abu Qteish added that the mounting threats facing Al-Aqsa require broader Islamic mobilization to protect the mosque and confront the policies targeting it.

Israeli settlers have continued carrying out incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under the protection of Israeli occupation forces. According to Palestinian sources in Jerusalem, more than 1,128 settlers entered the compound over the past week.