Hundreds of illegal Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa mosque amid Jewish Passover holiday

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) - At least 700 illegal Israeli settlers invaded the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied Jerusalem on Thursday morning, amid the Jewish Passover holiday.

“So far, 700 extremists have stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque in successive and provocative groups,” the Islamic Endowments Authority in Jerusalem said.

The endowments authority added that the incursion also occurred under “strict measures and restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshipers by the occupation police.”

Since the first day of Passover, which began on Monday evening and lasts for a week, hundreds of illegal settlers have been storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque daily under tight police guard, causing severe tension in various parts of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Nearly 704 illegal settlers stormed Al-Aqsa on Wednesday. Right-wing Israeli extremist groups have previously called for widespread incursions into the mosque on the occasion of Passover.

Palestinians argue that Israel is intensifying rapid measures to Judaize Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity.

Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, is considered one of the most important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar.

Since 2003, Israel has allowed illegal settlers into the flashpoint compound almost on a daily basis with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul