Abdel-Raouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) – A group of Jewish settlers backed by Israeli police forced their way into Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday, a Palestinian NGO has said.
"A total of 36 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa complex through the Al-Magharbeh Gate under Israeli police protection," the Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage, a Palestinian NGO, said in a statement.
"Shortly afterward, around 15 Israeli intelligence personnel forced their way into the compound and toured the area for about 90 minutes," the foundation, which is devoted to safeguarding the iconic mosque from Israeli violations, added.
The Israeli authorities detained a Palestinian youth, identified as Mohamed al-Netisheh, as he tried to protest the intrusions, it added.
In recent months, groups of extremist Jewish settlers – often accompanied by Israeli security forces – have repeatedly forced their way into the Al-Aqsa 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 – a move never recognized by the international community – claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state.
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