Palestinians protest Al-Aqsa incursions near Gaza fence

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Palestinians continued their protests near a border fence with Israel for the ninth consecutive day on Monday to decry Israeli settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

Protesters waved Palestinian flags and set tires ablaze amid chants condemning settler raids into the flashpoint site, an Anadolu reporter on the ground reported.

“We must live freely in Gaza like all other peoples around the world,” a protester who gave his name as Youssef told Anadolu.

“The (Israeli) occupation will pay the price for its blockade on Gaza and for incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he added.

Israeli army warplanes also struck at least one military observation post for the Hamas military wing near the eastern borders of Gaza.

The Israeli army said it targeted two military posts in Gaza with unmanned aircraft in response to what it said were flying balloon-borne incendiary devices launched towards nearby Israeli areas.

No injuries were reported in the Israeli bombing of Gaza.

Early Monday, scores of Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa complex under police protection to celebrate Yom Kippur holiday, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

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.

Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has groaned under a crippling Israeli blockade that has deprived its roughly 2.3 million inhabitants of many vital commodities, including food, fuel and medicine.