More than 2,500 Israeli occupiers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday morning as they marked the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, commemorating what they call the “destruction of the Temple.”
An official from the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem, who requested anonymity, told Anadolu Agency that more than 2,500 Israeli occupiers had stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, adding that the incursions were “continuing in very large numbers.”
The official said the incursions were accompanied by “widespread violations,” including collective Talmudic prayers, praying aloud and performing full prostrations.
Videos circulated by Israeli right-wing activists showed occupiers performing collective prayers opposite the Dome of the Rock. Another clip showed the Israeli flag being raised inside the compound as participants sang the Israeli national anthem in the presence of Israeli police.
Earlier, the Jerusalem Governorate said in a Facebook post that Israeli police allowed the number of occupiers entering the compound in each group to increase to around 150.
