1,615 Israelis Stormed Al-Aqsa İn Sept: Ngo

At least 1,615 Israelis forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem during the month of September, a Palestinian NGO said Wednesday.



Of these, as many as 1,340 were Jewish settlers, while the remainder were army troops, the Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage said in a statement.



Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel and Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch were among the Israelis who forcibly entered the site in September, the NGO, which is devoted to protecting the Al-Aqsa complex from Israeli violations, said.



September's intrusions were accompanied by the arrest of a number of activists and Muslim worshippers inside the mosque compound, it said.



The Israeli authorities also banned 100 people from entering the compound for periods ranging from two weeks to six months.



On several occasions in September, Israeli forces also barred Palestinian Muslim worshippers – including women and children – from entering the mosque complex, the NGO added.



Israeli authorities could not be reached for comment on the NGO's assertions.



In recent months, groups of extremist Jewish settlers, often accompanied by Israeli security forces, have repeatedly forced their way into the Al-Aqsa complex.



The frequent violations anger Palestinian Muslims and occasionally lead to violent confrontations.



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 prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.



Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War.



It annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state – a move never recognized by the international community.



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



 By Alaa Rimawi



englishnews@aa.com.tr



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