Settlers storm the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque amid tightened security around the mosque and the Old City

SadaNews - Settlers stormed the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem today, Thursday, under heavy protection from the Israeli occupation police under the pretext of "Yom Kippur".

Local sources reported that the occupation forces intensified their military procedures around Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the Old City of Jerusalem, impeding Palestinians' access to the courtyards of the sanctuary to secure the entry of settlers in large numbers.

Groups affiliated with what is called the "Union of Temple Organizations" called on their supporters to participate widely in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque next Monday, under the pretext of celebrating the "Feast of Tabernacles".

The occupation police aimed to turn the city into a large prison by closing streets with concrete blocks and deploying metal barricades to facilitate the passage of settler buses and prevent the movement of citizens between neighborhoods in Jerusalem.

The occupation forces closed dozens of vital streets and roads in occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday evening in preparation for "Yom Kippur," under the pretext of securing the settlers' marches to celebrate "Yom Kippur", which caused a near-complete paralysis of citizens' movement and disrupted their daily lives.

The occupation police deployed extensive military reinforcements and set up checkpoints around the Old City, and at the Damascus Gate and Hebron Gate, and closed the roads leading to the neighborhoods of Silwan, the Thawri neighborhood, A-Eisawiya, Al-Tur, Sheikh Jarrah, Al-Masara, and Wadi Al-Joz, in parallel with deploying special forces at the gates of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

These measures hinder citizens' movement and prevent them from freely reaching their places of work and centers of their lives while settlers are allowed to gather and perform their religious rituals inside and outside the Old City.

The occupation exploits Jewish holidays to close roads and impose severe restrictions on Palestinians' movement in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, aggravating their daily suffering and revealing the double standards in freedom of worship and movement, as settlers are given complete facilitation while citizens are besieged in their cities, villages, and towns.