Palestinian I’tikaf Congregation at Al-Aqsa Forms Barricades Themselves

Al-Aqsa, MINA – Hundreds of Palestinian worshipers barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds Jerusalem from Saturday night to Sunday morning after a series of Israeli attacks earlier this week.

Worshipers barricaded themselves inside the main hall of the mosque, in an attempt to prevent Israeli forces from storming it and removing them from the premises, according to news website Arabi21, The New Arab reported.

Palestinians living in the prayer room perform Itikaf, which requires spending the night in the mosque with the aim of devoting themselves to worship.

Elsewhere in the compound, on Sunday Israeli police forces attacked a number of Palestinian men who had tried to enter the mosque from several gates for morning prayers.

The troops were especially present on Bab Hatta Street in the occupied Old City of Al-Quds.

A number of gates – including the Ablution Gate – were also closed by Israeli troops, blocking Palestinians’ access to the mosque, which is Islam’s third holiest site.

On Saturday and Sunday, Jewish extremists stormed the Al-Aqsa compound under the protection of Israeli troops, intimidating Palestinian worshipers as they marked Ramadan.

Israeli troops stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque early last week, brutally attacking Palestinian worshipers with rubber bullets and sound bombs.

Horrific videos shared online also show Israeli forces beating Palestinians with batons, before expelling them from the mosque.

Between 400 and 500 people were also detained in the attack on Tuesday, before being taken to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, in East Jerusalem. Many Palestinians suffered injuries requiring local ambulance treatment.

Most of the Arab world, Türkiye and the United Nations condemned the Israeli attack. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)