The Islamic Endowment Department in Jerusalem announced in a brief statement that dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in groups on Tuesday morning, under the guard of the Israeli police.
Hundreds of Israeli settlers on Tuesday stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, under police guard.
This came according to the Department of Islamic Endowments in Jerusalem in a brief statement.
The statement stated, "468 settlers stormed the mosque in groups in the morning period, under the guard of the Israeli police."
And according to what sources in the department told Anadolu Agency correspondent, "more settlers are expected to storm the mosque in the period after the noon prayer."
The settlers stormed the mosque from the Mughrabi Gate.
Israeli right-wing groups had called for widespread incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque on the occasion of the Jewish "Day of Atonement," the holiest day for Jews.
The Jews begin to celebrate Yom Kippur with sunset on Tuesday (today), until sunset on Wednesday (tomorrow), a day of fasting during which life stops completely in Israel.
Usually, the number of people entering the mosque increases during the Jewish holidays.
Large Israeli police forces were deployed throughout East Jerusalem for fear of confrontations with the Palestinians due to the incursions.
Since 2003, the Israeli police have allowed settlers to storm the mosque without the approval of the Islamic Endowments Department, affiliated to the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, which calls for an end to the incursions.