This article was originally published by Maan News and is republished with permission.

An Islamic charity is outraged that a "massive" group of Israeli settlers, rabbis and politicians attempted to break into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem early Thursday morning.

The Al-Aqsa Foundation for Islamic Waqf and Heritage claimed that Israeli extremists "carried out several failed attempts to break into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound" on Thursday. Also, the gang performed religious rituals in the yard outside as Israeli police watched, reportedly refusing to act.

The crowd of Israelis apparently began the rally by breaking through the Old City's Mughrabi gate before attempting to enter the mosque, the foundation claimed. During the intrusion, members of the Islamic charity attempted to stem the flow of rioters by closing gates surrounding the area.

The foundation called on Palestinians in Jerusalem - as well as those living outside - to immediately race to the Old City site in order to protect the mosque from more attempts expected throughout the night.

Extremist groups have attempted for several years to break into the mosque during Yom Kippur, which began Wednesday evening.

The head of the Palestinian Authority (PA)'s Waqf Department denounced the incident in a statement on Thursday. Sheikh Mohammad Azzam At-Tamimi implored the Israeli public to respect Al-Aqsa as an "Islamic holy site."

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is located on top of the Haram al-Sharif, or "Noble Sanctuary," and is considered holy to Muslims. Israeli border security forces and Jerusalem police are tasked with maintaining security in the area, which includes protection from Jewish extremists.

Also on Thursday morning, riots sparked in the Israeli town of Acre when Jewish youths beat a Palestinian resident.

Young Israelis reportedly assaulted the Palestinian man after he drove into the predominantly Jewish section of the city just after midnight. The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported that the man claimed to be driving home when he was attacked.

Following the assault, Palestinian youths reportedly arrived at the scene, touching off additional riots involving both Arabs and Jews. Dozens of cars and shops were damaged in the chaos.

Police arrested a number of suspected rioters and say they plan to detain more. Acre's police chief cited the involvement of "Jewish and Arab gangs" in riots that started in the eastern part of the city.