Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound raided by scores of far-right Israelis

Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound was raided by scores of Israeli settlers on Tuesday, according to the body responsible for managing the site.

There were 116 Israelis involved in the assault on the holy site, said the Islamic Waqf Department - the organisation which administers the site - according to Anadolu Agency.

The Waqf department, which is under the Jordanian state's authority, also claimed the settlers were under Israeli police protection.

It is common for far-right Israelis to raid the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, usually by storming the Mughrabi Gate, which lies to the southwest of the holy site.

These raids at Al-Aqsa - considered Islam's third holiest site - were permitted by Israeli police from 2003, despite protests from the Waqf Department, according to reports.

East Jerusalem, which contains the holy mosque, came under Israeli occupation during the 1967 war. The whole of Jerusalem was illegally annexed by Israel in 1980.

More than 100,000 #Palestinians attended prayers at #Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque as the four-day holiday of #Eid al-Adha beganhttps://t.co/YtsvVTRClp

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) July 20, 2021

Under the prevailing status quo in Jerusalem, Jordan is responsible for looking after the affairs of the city's Christian and Muslim holy sites, including Al-Aqsa.

The mosque compound is regularly raided by far-right Israeli settler groups under police protection.