JERUSALEM– Scores of Jewish settlers on Thursday stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in the city of Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem), a Palestinian official told Anadolu Agency.
Backed by Israeli forces, about 32 settlers stormed the compound from the Al-Magharba Gate, provoking Muslim worshippers, said one Islamic Endowment Authority official.
According to the official, Israeli forces expelled three worshippers and questioned three students “as part of Israel’s policy of harassing worshippers.”
Israeli officials, meanwhile, were not available for comment.
In recent months, groups of extremist Jewish settlers – often accompanied by Israeli security forces – have stepped up their attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. The frequent violations anger Palestinian Muslims and occasionally lead to violent confrontations.
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.
