News - Middle East: Hundreds of Israeli settlers under police protection have once again broken into the main prayer area of al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East al-Quds.

The Jordan-run Islamic Waqf Department, which is in charge of al-Aqsa Mosque affairs, said roughly 1,100 settlers intruded into the holy complex on Monday.

Local media reports quoting sources and witnesses said the Israeli police along with extremist settlers entered the Qibli Mosque, the main congregational prayers, in an unusual move, desecrating the holy place.

Hundreds of Jewish fanatics walked around and held religious rituals in violation of the rules of the holy site.

At the same time, police attacked, beat up and forcibly removed at least two Palestinian women and a man who were worshipping at the mosque, the report said.

Calls for the regular presence of Jewish extremists in the al-Aqsa Mosque have increased in recent days concurrent with holidays marking a Jewish festival.

Israeli police allows the settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex despite repeated condemnations by the Palestinians and international community. The provocative incidents have been on the rise since the cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office last December.

Non-Muslim worship at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound is prohibited according to an agreement between the occupying Israeli regime and the Jordanian government following the regime’s seizure of East al-Quds in 1967.

Separately, Israeli forces detained at least 15 Palestinians during a series of raids across various parts of the occupied territories.

Source: Press TV