ANKARA

Hundreds of illegal Israeli settlers on Wednesday forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem to mark a Jewish holiday, Wafa news agency reported.

The settlers performed Talmudic rituals at the complex to mark Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks.

Local sources estimated that hundreds of settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and the Al-Buraq Wall, which Jews call the Wailing Wall.

Israeli forces also closed roads near the Damascus Gate area to secure the entry of the settlers into the complex.

In a statement, the Jordan-run Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said 590 settlers stormed mosque this morning, following calls by extremist groups.

Israeli forces also restricted the entry of Palestinian worshippers into the mosque amid tightened restrictions.

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