Israeli police raid Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

By Gulsen Topcu

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli police again raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem early Sunday, according to witnesses.

Israeli police cut the electricity and forced Palestinians out of the Qibla Masjid who were performing prayers.

Palestinians attempted to prevent police by closing the doors to the mosque.

Israeli forces and fanatical Jewish settlers frequently carry out raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque to provoke Palestinians.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

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 Zehra Nur Duz.