JERUSALEM

Hundreds of Israeli settlers on Thursday forced their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem on the fifth day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, according to the Islamic Waqf Department.

In a statement, the department said that at least 240 settlers entered the site under the protection of Israeli police.

Sukkot is a weeklong holiday, which started on Sept. 29 and will continue until Oct. 6, ending a season of Jewish holidays that started by observing the Rosh Hashanah (New Year) on Sept. 15.

Settlers stormed the complex in groups through the Al-Mughrabi Gate in the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque, witnesses told Anadolu.

At least 4,551 settlers has stormed the complex since Sunday, according to data from the Islamic Waqf Department.

Israeli police began allowing the settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in 2003, despite repeated condemnations from Palestinians.

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.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi