About 80.000 Palestinian Worshipers attended Friday Prayers at Al-Aqsa

Jerusalem, MINA – About 80 thousand Palestinian worshipers attended Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Al-Quds. Quoted from the Quds Network on Friday, the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Council confirmed this.

The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Council also said Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, 1948 Palestinian territories, and occupied Jerusalem managed to reach the holy site, attend sermons and perform Friday prayers despite strict restrictions from the Israeli occupation.

Ahead of the prayer, Israeli occupation forces were deployed at the mosque’s gate and its surroundings. The Israeli occupation forces, reportedly stopped dozens of Palestinians, searched them, and prevented them from entering the first Qibla of Muslims.

After the prayer, a parade was held in the courtyard of the mosque to commemorate Isra and Mi’raj, the Prophet Muhammad’s night journey from Mecca to Al-Aqsa Mosque and then up to Sidratul Muntaka which is commemorated every 27th of Rajab, the seventh month of the Islamic calendar.

Every Friday, thousands of Palestinians flock to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the world’s third holiest site for Muslims to offer prayers and recite the Quran within its compound.

The Israeli Occupation Authorities have been permitting raids by Israeli extremist Jewish settlers into Al-Aqsa since 2003 under the protection of military forces, despite repeated objections and warnings by the Palestinian religious authorities that such visits provoke mosque worshippers.

While the troops facilitated the raids of Jewish extremist settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, on the other hand they attacked, arrested, harassed and hindered the movement of Palestinian worshipers on their way to the mosque.

In 2021, 34,562 Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, a new record, compared to 2020, 19,000 illegal settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and another 29,700 illegal settlers in 2019, according to Al-Qastal, the center of the Palestinian network for citizens. Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem.

Jews claim Al-Aqsa Mosque as the Temple Mount, the site of the second prominent Jewish temple in ancient times. The complex also includes the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the holiest Christian sites in the world. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News agency (MINA)