Jerusalem: A hardline Knesset member joined thousands of illegal Israeli settlers in storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, marking the fifth day of the Jewish holiday of Passover. A statement by the Jerusalem governor's office indicated that the settlers visited the mosque courtyard and the ancient Bab Al-Rahma cemetery, where they performed Talmudic rituals.

According to Anadolu Agency, Knesset member Zvi Sukkot, affiliated with the far-right Religious Zionism Party of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, also entered the site and performed 'epic prostration.' Ben-Gvir expressed support for Sukkot's actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, emphasizing a change in the site's status quo.

"I'm happy to see that also MK Zvi Sukkot, like many thousands, is prostrating himself and praying at the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque)," Ben-Gvir stated. Since 2003, Israel has permitted illegal settlers into the compound almost daily, excluding Fridays and Saturdays.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is revered as the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews refer to the area as the "Temple Mount," asserting it was the location of two ancient Jewish temples. Israel took control of East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and annexed the city in 1980, a move not recognized internationally.