Occupied Al Quds: Tens of thousands of Palestinians performed Friday prayers in the courtyards of Al Aqsa Mosque.
The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem estimated that about 45,000 worshippers attended the prayers at Al Aqsa, despite heavy Israeli military restrictions.
Local sources reported that Israeli forces obstructed the arrival of worshippers through the Damascus Gate and Lions’ Gate, checking their IDs, detaining several young men, and preventing them from entering the mosque.
Since the beginning of the Israeli assault on the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, in October 2023, Israeli forces have intensified restrictions at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the entrances to Jerusalem’s Old City.
The occupation authorities deliberately prevent thousands of citizens from the West Bank governorates from reaching Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa, requiring them to obtain special permits to pass through the military checkpoints surrounding the holy city.
