Gaza – Ma’an – De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called several Arab and Muslim leaders around the world on Sunday to enlist their support in ending Israeli intrusions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

The Hamas leader asked Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, for an emergency meeting of the organization to discuss these “attacks.”

Haniyeh also called Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, calling on him to take practical steps to protect Al-Aqsa.

The Gaza-based prime minister also spoke with the Emir of Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa, and Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faysal.

Also in Gaza, Hamas staged mass demonstrations against an Israeli police raid on Al-Aqsa that took place earlier on Sunday.

Speaking at one such rally, senior Hamas leader Ismail Radwan issued a similar call to Haniyeh’s urging Arab states to “defend Al-Aqsa,” while demonstrators chanted slogans calling for “resistance” in defense of the holy site.

On Monday, Gaza's neighboring Egypt expressed concern over "Israel's actions in Jerusalem."