Hundreds of Israeli settlers, celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, forced Monday their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem, for the second day in a row.
Sukkot is a weeklong holiday, which started Sept. 29 and will continue until Oct. 6, ending a season of Jewish holidays that started by observing the Rosh Hashanah (New Year) holiday on Sept.15.
In a statement, an official with the Jordan-run Islamic Waqf Department said hundreds of Israeli settlers guarded by the Israeli police forced their way into the complex through the Al-Mughrabi Gate.
The settlers made tours of the mosque's courtyards and attempted to perform "Talmudic rituals," the official told Anadolu Agency requesting anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Earlier Sunday, the Islamic Waqf Department said that nearly 860 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli police began allowing the settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in 2003, despite repeated condemnations from Palestinians.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.
