Dozens of Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque

Jerusalem, MINA – Dozens of Israeli settlers guarded by Israeli police stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday morning, according to witnesses, Wafa reported.

Scores of Israeli settlers entered the compound through the Moroccan Gate in groups and performed rituals there under the protection of Israeli police officers, local sources said.

Since 2003, the Israeli occupation authorities have been allowing settlers into the compound almost on a daily basis, with the exclusion of Friday, the Muslim day of rest and worship.

The Islamic Awqaf, the Jordan-run authority in charge of the holy site, has repeatedly described the settlers’ presence in Al-Aqsa Mosque as provocative, saying that Palestinian worshippers and guards at Al-Aqsa feel uncomfortable with the presence of Israeli police and settlers touring the Islamic holy site.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa Mosque is located, during the Six-Day War in 1967 in a move never recognized by the international community. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)