Tens of Thousands Attend Friday Prayer at Aqsa Mosque Despite Israeli Restrictions

Jerusalem, MINA – Tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers gathered at the Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayer, undeterred by the Israeli occupation authorities’ heightened restrictions and heavy security presence in and around the Old City of Jerusalem, Palestine Information Center reported.

The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem reported that along with the Friday congregational prayer, worshipers also held a funeral prayer in absentia to honor the souls of Palestinian martyrs in Gaza and the West Bank.

According to local sources, Israeli forces set up iron barricades at key Old City entrances, including Bab al-Asbat, Bab al-Sahira, and Bab al-Amud, where they inspected identification documents and searched personal belongings of young Palestinians attempting to enter.

In a further escalation, Israeli authorities closed the road to the al-Maghariba Gate with iron barriers and red tape, restricting vehicle access to residents of the Silwan neighborhood only. Additional checkpoints were placed inside the Old City, notably on Al-Wad Street, during the simultaneous arrival of Muslim worshipers to Aqsa and Christian pilgrims en route to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. []

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)