Scores of Israeli settlers storm Al Aqsa mosque complex on Jewish holy day

Scores of illegal Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al Aqsa mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem on the occasion of the Yom Kippur holiday, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Guarded by the Israeli police, the settlers entered the complex in groups via its western gate of al Maghariba on Monday, witnesses told Anadolu.

The Israeli police also detained a Palestinian individual in the mosque’s courtyard during the incursion.

Israeli settler groups have called on supporters to converge on the Al Aqsa complex to mark the Yom Kippur holiday, which began on Sunday and lasts until Monday evening.

On Sunday, the Jordan-run Islamic Waqf Department said more than 650 settlers stormed Al Aqsa.

Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It is traditionally observed with a day-long fast and special services at synagogues.

Israeli Jewish holiday season started on Sept. 15 with observing the Rosh Hashanah (New Year) holiday. They will also mark the Sukkot holiday at the end of September and the Simhat Torah holiday on Oct. 6.

For Muslims, Al Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site.

Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where the Al Aqsa complex is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognised by the international community.