Jerusalem: Hundreds of illegal Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, under the pretext of marking 77 years since the establishment of Israel.

According to Anadolu Agency, a Palestinian official with the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said nearly 350 illegal Israeli settlers entered the flashpoint site under Israeli police protection since the morning, performing Talmudic rituals on the mosque's eastern side. Witnesses reported that the settlers entered through the Al-Mugharbah Gate area, west of the holy mosque, and that more are expected to storm in the afternoon.

The settlers' actions follow calls from several Israeli groups to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on Independence Day. Independence Day commemorates the 1948 establishment of Israel, a date that coincides with Palestinian commemorations of the Nakba, which refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians during that period when Zionist gangs carried out attacks against civilians.

Since 2003, Israel has permitted illegal settlers to enter the compound almost every day, excluding Fridays and Saturdays. Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the three holiest sites for Muslims, while Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the location of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel took control of East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is situated, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, and later annexed the entire city in 1980, a move that remains unrecognized by the international community.