The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says Monday’s attacks on gatherings and checkpoints of Israelis in the occupied West Bank were a response to the storming of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound a day before by Israeli extremists.

Hamas spokesman Muhammad Hamadeh made the remarks hours after shooting attacks were carried out against Israeli military forces and settlers in various parts of the occupied West Bank.

Hamadeh said the attacks were “a natural response” to the criminal acts of the occupiers who had stormed al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday.

The Hamas official said the attacks on the Israelis should be viewed as part of a mobilization campaign in Palestine to defend holy Muslim sites in the occupied city of al-Quds against storming attacks by the settlers.

Extremist Israelis have been storming al-Aqsa Mosque in recent months as part of what many experts believe to be a plot to make a regular presence in the holy sites to turn it to a temple.

Supported by the Israeli regime and its security forces, settlers have made calls for gatherings of the extremists at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound concurrent with Jewish New Year holidays that began on September 17.

Palestinians have reacted angrily to the presence of Israelis in the Mosque by staging protests and carrying out attacks on regime forces and extremist settlers.

Separately on Monday, Saudi Arabia condemned the latest act of incursion by Israeli extremists against al-Aqsa Mosque, holding the regime in Tel Aviv directly responsible for repercussions of such provocations.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the Sunday storming of al-Aqsa Mosque by a group of Israeli extremists, which took place under the protection of the Israeli forces, constituted “a provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds the Israeli occupation forces fully responsible for the repercussions of these continued violations,” said the statement.

The al-Aqsa Mosque compound is regarded as a holy place where only Muslims can hold prayers and religious rituals.