By Alaa Rimawi
JERUSALEM
Scores of Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers on Thursday forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, a mosque guard has said.
"Scores of settlers stormed the holy compound through the Al-Magharbeh Gate under Israeli police protection," the guard, requesting anonymity, told Anadolu Agency.
He said that Israeli authorities had banned Palestinian worshippers under 45 years old from entering the mosque.
In recent months, groups of extremist Jewish settlers – often accompanied by Israeli security forces – have repeatedly forced their way into East Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.
The frequent violations anger Palestinian Muslims and occasionally lead to violent confrontations.
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 was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state – a move never recognized by the international community.
In September 2000, a visit to the site by controversial Israeli leader Ariel Sharon sparked what later became known as the "Second Intifada" – a popular uprising against the Israeli occupation in which thousands of Palestinians were killed.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
