Israeli minister, ex-Knesset member storm Al-Aqsa

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli minister and former member of Knesset (Parliament) along with dozens of Jewish settlers on Tuesday forced their way into East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque complex accompanied by Israeli police, read a statement.

"More than 230 extremist Jews stormed Al-Aqsa today accompanied by Israeli police," said the statement by the Muslim Waqf (Endowment) Council in Jerusalem.

Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Uri Ariel and former member of Knesset for Likud party Yehuda Glick were among the settlers, according to the witnesses.

Many Jewish extremist groups called on to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque to mark the Jewish Yom Kippur which begins Tuesday night, and lasts until Wednesday.

The police are backing all the settlers every day except for Friday and Saturday.

The Islamic Endowments Council in Jerusalem calls on exerting pressure against the Israeli government to halt these incursions.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem -- in which the Al-Aqsa is located -- during the 1967 Middle East War. In 1980, Israel unilaterally annexed the entire city, claiming it as its "eternal and undivided" capital.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara