A Palestinian NGO said Thursday that almost 3,000 Israelis forced their way into the Palestinian Al-Aqsa complex in East Jerusalem in the last two months amid ongoing clashes between both sides, the Anadolu Agency reported.
"A total of 2,708 Israelis, mostly Jewish settlers, stormed the Al-Aqsa complex in October and November," the news agency reported, citing a statement by the Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage.
According to the NGO, in October alone 1,411 Jewish settlers, 104 soldiers and 83 intelligence agents stormed the Al-Aqsa site, while in November 1,081 Jewish settlers, 104 soldiers and 22 Israeli intelligence officers forced their way into the compound.
Based on the status quo laws on Temple Mount, Muslims maintain autonomy of the complex, while allowing Jews to visit on certain occasions. But one of the reasons for amplified clashes between Arabs and Jews, including riots and terror attacks, is the alleged intention of Israel to re-consider the status quo on the Temple Mount in favor of Jews.
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is located on the Jewish religious site of Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, and is considered to be Islam's third holiest site after Mecca and Medina.
Palestinians are seeking the creation of an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel. In October, Palestinians worked out a draft UN Security Council resolution that defines strict time limits for Israel to end its occupation and remove settlements before November 2016.