Al-Quds, MINA – Tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday to perform prayers, undeterred by heavy Israeli security measures imposed across the holy site and its surroundings, according to the Palestine Information Center.
The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem reported that approximately 75,000 worshippers attended the weekly congregational prayer. Local sources said crowds began streaming into the mosque early in the morning, even as Israeli forces ramped up their presence at the entrances to the compound and throughout the Old City.
To control the flow of worshippers, Israeli troops set up dozens of metal barriers in and around the Old City and the mosque compound. Young Palestinians were frequently stopped and asked to present their identification cards, a tactic that has become routine in recent years.
Friday’s gathering was particularly significant given that Israeli authorities have barred Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip from reaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the past three years, part of a broader policy of movement restrictions aimed at limiting access to occupied Jerusalem. Despite these obstacles, thousands of worshippers from within the city and its outskirts made their way to the mosque, determined to exercise their right to worship.
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The large turnout underscored the resilience of Palestinian communities in the face of ongoing restrictions and their deep attachment to one of Islam’s holiest sites.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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