Dozens of Jewish settlers forced their way into Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa complex on Sunday in celebration of the Jewish New Year, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the Jerusalem Awqaf Department said 76 settlers backed by Israeli police forces had entered the compound.
According to an Anadolu Agency reporter, the settlers toured the courtyard in celebration of the Jewish Rosh Hashanah, which falls from Sunday to Thursday.
Israeli settlers raid Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound accompanied by Israeli soldiers. These provocative raids raise tensions in #Jerusalem and increase Palestinian fears that Israel is intent on compromising the historical status quo of Jerusalem's holy sites. Video by @Silwanic1 pic.twitter.com/vyfN4HCi9v
— PLO Department of Public Diplomacy & Policy (@PalestinePDP) September 20, 2020
Right-wing Jewish supporters have called on supporters over the past few days to converge on the Al-Aqsa compound to celebrate the occasion.
On Saturday, a Jewish settler attempted to blow in a shofar inside the flashpoint compound, but he was kicked out by the guards.
#Watch || herds of settlers storm the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque today. pic.twitter.com/MEZopjd5dZ
— Palestinian Eve 🇵🇸 (@Palestinian_Eve) September 20, 2020
Jewish settlers often raid Al-Aqsa Mosque and perform Talmudic rituals inside its yards, while the Israeli army limits access to Muslim worshippers during this time.
(Palestine Chronicle, MEMO, Social Media)
