Dozens of Israeli settlers forced their way into Jerusalem’s flashpointAl-Aqsa complex on Sunday in celebration of the Jewish New Year.
In a statement, the Jerusalem Awqaf Department said 76 settlers backed byIsraeli police forces had entered the compound.
According to an Anadolu Agency reporter, the settlers toured the courtyardin celebration of the Jewish Rosh Hashanah, which falls from Sunday toThursday.
Right-wing Jewish supporters have called on supporters over the past fewdays to converge on the Al-Aqsa compound to celebrate the occasion.
On Saturday, an Israeli settler attempted to blow in a shofar inside theflashpoint compound, but he was kicked out by the guards.
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Al-Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims, while Jewsrefer to the area as the “Temple Mount,” claiming it was the site of twoJewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, in which the Al-Aqsa is located, during the1967 Arab-Israeli War.
In a move never recognized by the international community, Israel annexedthe entire city in 1980, claiming it as the Jewish state’s “eternal andundivided” capital.
