Thousands of settlers storm Al-Aqsa

Over a thousand Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under the protection of armed security yesterday morning to commemorate the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av.

Tisha B’Av notably commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temple which Jews believe were located where the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, now stands.

Local sources told Ma’an that hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the Muslim site through the Mughrabi Gate.

Sources added that many of the Israeli settlers performed Jewish religious rituals in the compound, while Israeli police removed several extremist Israeli settlers from the premises.

Sources confirmed that by 11am at least 1,023 right-wing Israeli settlers had stormed the compound.

Read: Jordan protests against Jewish settlers’ raid of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Meanwhile, heavily armed occupation forces were deployed at the doorways to Al-Aqsa and they set up barriers and confiscated the ID cards of Palestinians before allowing to enter.

Right-wing Member of the Knesset, Yehuda Glick, was seen accompanying a group of settlers on site.

A Palestinian was arrested for raising the Palestinian flag in Al-Aqsa during the settler raids.

Israeli occupation forces arrest a Palestinian teenager for raising the flag of Palestine in Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/Rlf9dyJTOU

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 22, 2018

Israeli settlers can be seen after they stormed into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on 22 July 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli settlers storm into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on 22 July 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli settlers can be seen after they stormed into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on 22 July 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli settlers can be seen after they stormed into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on 22 July 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli settlers can be seen after they stormed into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on 22 July 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]