Jewish settlers storm Aqsa compound, raise Israeli flag

Around 25 Jewish settlers stormed the Aqsa Mosque compound in the city of al-Quds (occupied Jerusalem) early Monday where they raised the Israeli flag, a mosque guard said.

Backed by Israeli police, the settlers – including one Jewish rabbi – stormed the complex from the Magharbah Gate (‘Dung Gate’ in English) and performed Jewish rituals near the Rahma Gate, guard Nasser Qos told Anadolu Agency.

One Jewish settler raised an Israeli flag near the Faisal Gate, he added.

Sheikh Azzam Khatib, Jerusalem religious endowments (Awqaf) director, denounced the incursion, calling on Israeli police to put an end to increasingly frequent violations by Jewish settlers as Palestinian Muslims celebrate the Eid al-Adha holidays.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth recently cited a statement by Israeli Police Director Loia Somari, in which he said that police had closed the compound to non-Muslims.

In recent weeks, groups of Jewish settlers, often accompanied by Israeli security forces, have entered the Aqsa Mosque complex – considered Islam’s third holiest site – on an almost daily basis.

The frequent violations anger Palestinian Muslims and occasionally lead to violent confrontations in the mosque compound.
Jews refer to Al-Aqsa as the “Temple Mount,” claiming the area was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.

World Bulletin/News Desk