AL-QUDS
Around 65 Jewish settlers and rabbis on Wednesday stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) under Israeli police protection, a Palestinian guard at the holy site said.
"Settlers toured the compound, raising tensions among Palestinian religious students inside," the guard, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Anadolu Agency.
Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment.
In recent months, groups of extremist Jewish settlers – often accompanied by Israeli security forces – have repeatedly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. The frequent violations anger Palestinian Muslims and occasionally lead to violent confrontations.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site.
Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied Al-Quds during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state.
By Alaa Rimawi
englishnews@aa.com.tr
