Hundreds of Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa complex in Jerusalem

By Abdelraouf Arna'out
JERUSALEM (AA) - Hundreds of Israeli settlers on Tuesday forced their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem, according to a Palestinian agency.

In a statement, the Jordan-run Islamic Waqf Department, which oversees holy sites in Jerusalem, said 622 settlers stormed the site in groups under heavy police protection and stayed for more than three hours inside the compound.

Prior to their incursion, Israeli police forced Palestinian worshippers to leave the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque where they were held inside the Qibli Mosque, one Al-Aqsa's main mosques, during the settler tour, eyewitnesses said.

According to previous statements, hundreds of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa complex since Sunday to mark their week-long Jewish Passover holiday.

Tension has mounted across the Palestinian territories since Friday when Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards and attacked worshippers, injuring hundreds.

Daily settler incursions into the flashpoint site to celebrate the Passover holiday have further inflamed the situation.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Since 2003, Israel has allowed settlers into the compound almost daily.

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.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar