Hundreds of Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque to mark East Jerusalem occupation

ANKARA

More than 900 Israeli settlers, including Knesset members, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday to mark the city’s occupation by Israel, Palestinian media said.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing local sources, said the settlers performed Talmudic rituals in the mosque's courtyards, with some attempting to bring Torah scrolls through the Al-Mugharbah Gate area, west of the holy mosque.

Israeli flags were raised in the mosque's eastern area as settlers danced provocatively while Israeli forces erected iron barriers around Damascus Gate and the Old City areas to further impose restrictions on the entry of Palestinians, Wafa said.

Settler groups have called for intensified raids on the mosque, with a provocative "flag march" scheduled later in the day through Palestinian neighborhoods.

Since 2003, Israel has allowed illegal settlers to enter the flashpoint compound almost every day, except Fridays and Saturdays.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the three holiest sites for Muslims around the world, and Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming 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.