Ramallah, Jan. 25 (Petra) - Israeli settlers on Sunday stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque-Al Haram Al Sharif compound in occupied Jerusalem under heavy protection from Israeli police, who barred Muslim worshippers from entering and closed all external gates to secure the incursions.

The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department said in a statement that dozens of settlers entered the compound in successive groups through the Mughrabi Gate, carried out provocative tours, and performed Talmudic rituals in its courtyards.

In a related incident, settlers set fire to two vehicles in the town of Atara, northwest of Ramallah in the central West Bank. They also sprayed racist slogans, assaulted Palestinians, targeted shepherds, and blocked roads under the protection of Israeli forces.

Meanwhile, settlers attacked shepherds in the Bedouin community of Al-Hathroura near Khan Al-Ahmar, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, and prevented them from grazing their livestock.

//Petra// AF