Al-Quds, MINA – Despite severe Israeli restrictions, approximately 60,000 Palestinian worshippers gathered at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday to perform weekly prayers, followed by a symbolic absentee prayer for the souls of martyrs killed in Gaza and the West Bank.
The large turnout was seen as a powerful demonstration of Palestinian steadfastness and their insistence on the right to worship at the holy site.
Since early morning, Israeli forces imposed strict security measures, setting up military checkpoints around Jerusalem and erecting additional iron barriers around the Old City and the mosque’s gates.
Dozens of young men were reportedly detained for identity checks, with many prevented from reaching the mosque in what observers described as an attempt to limit Palestinian presence.
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The performance of the absentee prayer for the martyrs added a poignant layer to the gathering, directly linking the worship at Islam’s third holiest site to the ongoing casualties in the Palestinian territories.
Jerusalemite activists reiterated calls for urgent action to protect Al-Aqsa and other Islamic holy sites from what they term daily violations aimed at erasing the Arab and Islamic identity of Jerusalem.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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