Nearly 200 illegal Israeli settlers storm Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection

By Awad Rjoob and Rania Abu Shamala

RAMALLAH, Palestine/ ISTANBUL (AA) - A total of 182 illegal Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, Palestinian authorities said.

The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that the settlers forced their way into the flashpoint site during morning and evening incursions and performed Talmudic rituals near the Dome of the Rock in the complex under the protection of Israeli police.

The governorate also noted that 778 foreign tourists entered the mosque through a gate operated by the Israeli authorities.

According to official figures, 4,266 illegal settlers and around 15,000 foreign tourists accessed the mosque compound during November.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area Temple Mount, claiming 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.