Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque... and the occupation arrests 20 Palestinians from the West Bank

Today, Wednesday, Israeli settlers stormed the courtyards of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem, under the protection of the occupation police.

Eyewitnesses reported that dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in groups, carried out provocative tours in its courtyards, and performed Talmudic rituals, under the protection of the occupation forces.

The occupation police transformed the Old City of occupied Jerusalem into a military barracks, and hundreds of police officers were deployed at close distances, especially at the gates of Al-Aqsa. They tightened their military procedures at the gates of the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers.

For its part, the Prisoners' Affairs Authority and the Prisoners' Club reported, in a joint press statement, that the Israeli occupation forces arrested at least (20) Palestinians from the West Bank, including former detainees, from yesterday evening until this morning.

The statement stated that the arrests were concentrated in the Hebron Governorate, while the rest of the arrests were distributed among the governorates of Jenin, Qalqilya, Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho, and Jerusalem, accompanied by widespread raids and abuse, and severe beatings, in addition to widespread acts of sabotage and destruction of homes.

The total number of arrests rose after October 7 to about (9,510), and this total includes those who were arrested from homes, through military checkpoints, those who were forced to surrender themselves under pressure, and those who were held hostage.