UPDATE – Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa complex in Jerusalem to mark Jewish holiday

UPDATES WITH PALESTINIAN CONDEMNATION

By Abdelraouf Arna'out
JERUSALEM (AA) – Hundreds of Israeli settlers on Sunday forced their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem to mark the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.

In a statement, the Jordan-run Islamic Waqf Department, which oversees holy sites in Jerusalem, said more than 450 settlers entered the site through the compound’s Al-Mugharbah Gate under Israeli police protection.

According to the statement, large numbers of Israeli police were deployed at the site and closed the Al-Qibli mosque, one of Al-Aqsa compound’s mosques, while Palestinian worshippers inside.

The settler incursions into the flashpoint site drew an immediate condemnation from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.

In a statement, the ministry accused Israel of turning the Al-Qibli mosque into an “open mosque” for worshippers to facilitate the Israeli settler incursions.

It held the Israeli government fully responsible for the settler incursions and for its repercussions on efforts aimed at halting the Israeli escalation in the Palestinian territories.

Setter groups have earlier called on supporters to storm Al-Aqsa complex to mark the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks), which lasts until Monday.

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