Scores of Jewish settlers forced their way into East Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Tuesday to celebrate the week-long Jewish holiday of Passover.
"Over 237 Jewish settlers stormed the compound in celebration of Passover," Firas al-Dibs of the Religious Endowments Authority, a Jordan-run authority responsible for overseeing the city's Muslim and Christian holy sites, told Anadolu Agency.
He said the settlers toured the site under the protection of dozens of Israeli police officers.
According to al-Dibs, more than 700 settlers had stormed the Al-Aqsa compound since the beginning of Passover last week.
Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, is considered one of the most important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar.
Last year, more than 1,500 settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa compound during Passover.
For Muslims, the 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 annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the Jewish state in a move never recognized by the international community.
