6 Jewish Settlers Detained Over Al-Aqsa 'Violations'

Six Jewish settlers have been detained for carrying out "provocative" acts during their presence inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, Israeli police said Sunday.



The police said in a statement that the detained settlers' ages ranged between 14 and 17.



Israeli police usually release settlers hours after their detention on the background of such infringements.



One of the Palestinian guards of the mosque, meanwhile, said that around 25 settlers had entered the mosque compound and provoked Muslims praying inside by performing Jewish prayers.



"Tension prevailed inside the compound because of the entry of the Jewish settlers," the guard told The Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.



He added that Israeli police also detained a female Palestinian resident of Jerusalem as she was going out of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.



For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.



Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming the whole city as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state in a move never recognized by the international community.



In September 2000, a visit to Al-Aqsa by controversial Israeli politician Ariel Sharon sparked what later became known as the "Second Intifada," a popular uprising against Israel's decades-long occupation in which thousands of Palestinians were killed.



www.aa.com.tr/en - İsrail