Hundreds of Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa compound

GAZA CITY, Sept 20: The major incursion in occupied East Jerusalem early this morning came under the protection of Israeli forces, according to the Jerusalem governorate’s media office.

It said in a statement that 570 settlers entered the compound’s courtyard and performed Talmudic rituals as troops watched nearby.
The incident comes a day after Netanyahu, several ministers, and Israeli settlers entered the Western Wall plaza in occupied East Jerusalem.

The Jewish holiday Yom Kippur begins on Sunday evening and continues until Monday night. The Palestinian group has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for entering the holy site.

The Israeli prime minister’s incursion “into the tunnels and excavation sites beneath the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Al-Buraq Wall, accompanied by provocative statements, constitutes a flagrant assault on the identity and status”, a statement on its Telegram channel said.

“Al-Aqsa Mosque �" in its entirety including its courtyards, prayer halls, walls, and gates �" will remain an exclusively Islamic mosque,” said Hamas.

“This is an established fact: the occupation’s excavations, incursions, rituals and attempts to impose its Biblical narrative will never succeed in altering the site’s identity �" or obliterating its landmarks.”

The Jerusalem Governorate of Palestine said Netanyahu, several ministers and thousands of Israelis entered the Western Wall plaza in occupied East Jerusalem amid tight security on Sunday.

“Benjamin Netanyahu wanted, through this visit … creating this symbolism for himself as a leader spearheading the right wing to consolidate the Israeli political and religious narrative in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, to attempt to gather the largest possible number of votes to serve as an electoral lever for him,” said al-Hila.�" AL JAZEERA