Al-Aqsa Mosque almost Empty Due to Israeli Restrictions

Jerusalem, MINA – Israeli restrictions have prevented tens of thousands of Palestinians from performing Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque for the eighth Friday since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip.

“Only 3,500 people were able to enter the mosque to perform Friday prayers, compared to more than 50,000 on regular Fridays,” an official in the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem told Anadolu Agency.

The official, who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons, said that “the Israeli police imposed severe restrictions on the entry of worshipers into the mosque for the eighth Friday in a row.”

“The Israeli police only allowed the elderly to enter the mosque, and therefore, its courtyards and prayer rooms were almost empty during prayer time,” he added.

Also Read: Israeli Occupation Forces Kidnap Dozens of Palestinians in Raids Across West Bank

He pointed out that “the Israeli authorities have imposed restrictions on the entry of worshipers into Al-Aqsa Mosque since the beginning of the war, but these restrictions become more severe on Fridays.”

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli police forces were deployed in the alleys of the Old City, where they arrested young residents and prevented them from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Hundreds of Palestinians were forced to perform prayers in the streets near the Old City.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the Israeli police attacked worshipers in the Wadi Al-Joz neighborhood after preventing them from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Also Read: Israeli Strike Kills Two Palestinian Children in Southern Gaza

The police fired tear gas canisters at the worshipers, beat a number of them, and chased them through the streets, eyewitnesses added.

Israel resumed its military operations against the Gaza Strip immediately after the end of the humanitarian pause, targeting various areas in the north, center and south of the Strip since the morning, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The pause between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect on Nov. 24, ended on Friday morning. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

Also Read: Israel Continues Demolitions and Detonations in Jenin Refugee Camp for 314th Consecutive Day