Arab News | Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa on last day of Jewish New Year

LONDON: Around 240 Israeli settlers stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday.

Israeli forces increased military measures around the mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem as settlers visited the site to mark the Jewish New Year, which began on Friday and lasts until Sunday. Under heavy protection from police, they raised Israeli flags and performed rituals inside the compound. In August, the settlers stormed the compound 26 times, according to the Palestine News Agency.

Israeli authorities restrict Palestinian movement during Jewish holidays in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, effectively confining Palestinians to their cities and villages.

Al-Aqsa compound, Islam’s third-holiest site, also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, has been the site of frequent conflicts — including raids by Israeli settlers and restrictions on Muslim worshippers — since East Jerusalem was occupied in June 1967.

Settlers, who refer to the area as the Temple Mount, seek to establish a presence in the compound to perform Jewish prayers at certain times. Several far-right ministers and Knesset members in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government have publicly endorsed the plans.