Jewish Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa To Celebrate Sukkot

Scores of Jewish settlers forced their way into Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday to mark the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a Palestinian official said.



"Some 95 settlers backed by Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa compound through Al-Mugharbeh gate since early morning," Firas al-Dibs, a spokesman for Jerusalem's Jordan-run Religious Endowments Authority, said in a statement.



According to Dibs, Jewish extremist groups have called on supporters to converge on Al-Aqsa compound this week to mark the Jewish Sukkot holiday.



Sukkot is a week-long holiday, which started Sunday evening and will continue until the following Sunday.



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 -- in which the Al-Aqsa is located -- during the 1967 Middle East War. It formally annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it as its capital -- a move never recognized by the international community. -