Israeli settlers continue storming Al-Aqsa Mosque amid tension

By Abdelraouf Arna'out

JERUSALEM (AA) - Dozens of Israeli settlers on Tuesday forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East Jerusalem amid restrictions imposed on Palestinians' entry to the Muslims' holy compound.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that the Israeli police raided the yards of the Al-Aqsa compound before allowing the settlers to enter through its Al-Mugharbah Gate.

They added that at least one Palestinian was detained from inside the compound.

The Jordan-run Jerusalem Endowment Department said Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai raided the compound escorted by large numbers of Israeli police officers for a while.

Over the past week, several Jewish extremist groups called on settlers to widely storm the Al-Aqsa compound to mark the Jewish new year holiday, known as Rosh Hashanah.

Palestinian groups, for their part, urged Palestinians to keep their presence in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Monday and Tuesday to face the settlers' incursions into the holy compound.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the “Temple Mount,” claiming it had been 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 Ahmed Asmar in Ankara.