Israeli extremists again raid Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during Ramadan

Israeli extremists again stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Tuesday during Ramadan and on the sixth day of the Jewish Passover festival.

Hundreds of radicals stormed the occupied East Jerusalem site, the third-holiest place in Islam, under the protection of Israeli forces following an earlier raid on Monday. 

The intruders entered the compound in groups led by extremist rabbi and former Knesset member Yehudah Glick, local sources told The New Arab's Arabic sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Israeli forces deployed in Al-Aqsa's courtyards ahead of the storming of the site, occupying its prayer halls and harassing worshippers, the sources said.

"Intruders raised the flag of [Israel] in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in defiance of the feelings of the Muslims, who were harrassed within the courtyards," a spokesman for the Islamic Waqf Council which runs the Al-Aqsa Mosque said.

The spokesman added that Israeli forces expelled a number of people who responded to the incursions by gathering to chant "Allahu Akbar" and perform the voluntary Duha morning prayer.

He said around 400 Israeli extremists participated in the raid, which took place early on Tuesday morning and ended at 9:30 am local time (0730 GMT).

Israeli forces also stopped hundreds of young Palestinians from entering Al-Aqsa for morning prayers on Tuesday.

There are conflicting reports as to whether Israeli authorities will let the raids continue during the last 10 days of Ramadan, the holiest part of the Muslim month of fasting. 

On Monday, over 1,000 Israelis stormed Al-Aqsa's courtyards and performed religious rites in violation of the status quo arrangement, which reserves prayer at the holy place for Muslims.

Some extremists want to demolish Al-Aqsa and construct a Jewish temple in its place.

"The well-known desire of Israeli settlers to either destroy the mosque or forcibly convert all or part of the compound into a synagogue, as happened to the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, is a source of deep anxiety among Palestinians," UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese said last week.