JERUSALEM

Dozens of Israeli settlers on Tuesday forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem to mark the week-long Jewish Passover holiday.

Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, is considered one of the most important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar.

Eyewitnesses reported heavy deployment of Israeli troops in Al-Aqsa's courtyards to facilitate the settlers.

In a statement, the Jerusalem Islamic Endowment Department said that the Israeli forces restricted the entry of Palestinians into the mosque, and forced others to exit it.

Right-wing Israeli rabbi Yehuda Glick was among the settlers who broke into the mosque, according to eyewitnesses.

Israel has restricted access of Palestinian worshippers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque amid growing tensions across the occupied West Bank due to Tel Aviv’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack, which has left more than 34,100 people dead since last October.

Al-Aqsa is one of the world's holiest sites for Muslims. Jews, for their part, call the area as the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar