Settlers stormed, on Monday morning, the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, heavily guarded by the occupation police, while two Palestinian youths were wounded by Israeli forces’ bullets during their storming of Al-Yamoun town, west of Jenin.

Al-Jazeera correspondent said that confrontations erupted in Al-Aqsa Mosque between Palestinian youths and the occupation forces, which forced the Palestinians to evacuate the mosque, in preparation for the settlers storming through groups of about 40 settlers each.

Dozens of Muslim worshipers who were inside the roofed al-Qibli prayer hall protested the storming of the mosque, by chanting "God is great, praise be to God.

Yesterday, the occupation forces withdrew from the inner courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, hours after besieging the Palestinians there, in order to secure hundreds of settlers' storming of the mosque's courtyards.

And the occupation forces besieged hundreds of worshipers inside the Al-Qibli Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Pictures published on social media showed the occupation soldiers assaulting the women, and besieging them inside one of the mosque’s halls.

The Red Crescent announced that 19 Palestinians were injured yesterday during the confrontations in Al-Aqsa, some of them were hit by rubber-coated metal bullets, and others were wounded by severe beatings at the Al-Asbat and Al-Mutahrah gates.

Meanwhile, the Israeli police said that 9 Palestinians were arrested for allegedly throwing stones at them.

Settlers storm the mosque's courtyards, under police guard, on all days of the week, except for Friday and Saturday.

The storming of settlers, this week, acquires a special sensitivity, given that it coincides with what the Jews call "Passover", which began last Friday evening and continues until Thursday.

This has called settlement groups to intensify the incursions during the Easter period.


Jenin confrontations

In Jenin, eyewitnesses reported that large Israeli forces stormed the town of Al-Yamoun, surrounded the houses, and launched a massive raid and search campaign, which led to confrontations between Palestinian youths and the occupation forces, who shot them and inflicted injuries on them.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that two civilians were wounded by live bullets, and arrived at Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin.

The ministry stated that the two injuries were described as serious, and one of them was shot in the head and neck, while the other was hit by live bullets in the back.

For about two weeks, the Israeli army has launched extensive arrest and search campaigns in the northern West Bank, followed by the outbreak of clashes with the Palestinians.

Jordanian position

Yesterday, King Abdullah II of Jordan called on Israel to stop its provocative measures in Al-Aqsa Mosque and respect the historical and legal situation in the city of Jerusalem, while the resistance factions pledged victory for the holy sites and respond to the violations committed by the occupation.

And according to a statement from the Royal Court, Abdullah II yesterday directed the government to continue its regional and international contacts and efforts, to stop the escalatory Israeli steps and to formulate a pressing and influential international position to achieve this.

He said that maintaining the comprehensive calm requires Israel to respect the historical and legal situation in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to find a real political horizon that guarantees the fulfillment of all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people on the basis of the two-state solution.

King Abdullah indicated that protecting Jerusalem and its holy sites will remain a Jordanian priority, directing the government to continue devoting all necessary capabilities to preserve it, the existing historical and legal situation, and its Arab, Islamic and Christian identity.


The aggression ignites the region

For its part, the Palestinian presidency - yesterday - held the Israeli government fully responsible for the escalation in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and demanded the US administration to break its silence and "stop this aggression that will ignite the entire region."

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on the US administration to break its silence and intervene to stop the Israeli escalation.

In a call between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the latter confirmed that his country will make contacts with the concerned parties, according to what was reported by the official Palestinian news agency (Wafa).

In a tweet to him on his official account, Erdogan "strongly" condemned the Israeli interference in prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and said that Turkey was "always on the side of Palestine."

Resistance Factions Warnings

In the reactions issued by the Palestinian resistance factions, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) warned of the repercussions of allowing settlers to storm and desecrate the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, noting that the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque are pushing the situation towards a comprehensive explosion.

For his part, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, said that the defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque will continue in an open battle with the occupiers that will be resolved in the interest of the Palestinian people.

The movement's spokesman, Hazem Qassem, blamed the Israeli occupation for the attack on the detainees and worshipers inside the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Also, Muhammad Hamada, a spokesman for Hamas, for the city of Jerusalem, said that the Palestinian resistance will not distance itself from supporting Al-Aqsa Mosque, and that the method of response has no limits in light of the persistence of the occupation’s aggression.

In turn, the Islamic Jihad movement warned the Israeli occupation of its continued violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and held it fully responsible for what is happening there.

The leader of the Jihad movement, Khaled Al-Batsh, called on the people of Jerusalem and the occupied interior to attend the Al-Aqsa Mosque permanently, to protect it from the incursions of the occupation.

For his part, Hussein Hamayel, spokesman for the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), said that what happened in Al-Aqsa Mosque yesterday reflects the extremist mentality of the Israeli government.

He stressed - in a previous intervention with Al Jazeera - that the Fatah movement and the rest of the Palestinian factions will confront the Israeli attacks with all available capabilities, in light of the international silence and Israel's attempt to drag the region into a religious war, as he put it.


Internal escalation and security preparedness

In light of this escalation and attitudes, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the army decided to reinforce the deployment of Iron Dome systems in the south, for fear of launching rockets from Gaza.

Inside Israel, the United Arab List announced on Sunday the suspension of its participation in the coalition government headed by Naftali Bennett, due to the violence in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

"If the government continues its arbitrary steps against Jerusalem and its people, we will submit a collective resignation," the list said in a statement.

The government lost its weak majority in the Knesset (Parliament) this month, as a result of the resignation of an MP.

The ruling coalition brings together an ideologically disparate mixture of left-wing, ultra-nationalist, Jewish, and religious parties, in addition to the United Arab List.