According to officials from the Muslim Endowment (Waqf) Department, an estimated 130,000 Muslims gathered at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque for the third Friday prayer of the holy month of Ramadan. The worshippers came from various parts of Palestine, including Jerusalem, Arab communities in Israel, and different West Bank governorates, despite the severe Israeli restrictions, especially at checkpoints leading to the occupied city.
However, the Israeli forces closed the Qalandia military checkpoint, preventing Palestinians from entering Jerusalem to attend the prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Furthermore, people under 55 years of age were not allowed to enter the city. Israeli police also blocked several crossroads with iron barriers and deployed approximately 2300 additional police officers in the streets and alleys of the Old City and at the mosque’s gates, making it difficult for worshippers to access the site.
This morning, Israeli police officers prevented worshippers under the age of 40 from entering the holy site, and some were even physically assaulted with batons at Bab Hutta Gate, which is one of the primary gates leading to the mosque. Despite all the obstacles, the Muslim worshippers managed to perform their prayers peacefully.
The heavy Israeli restrictions and forceful measures against Muslim worshippers have been a longstanding issue in Palestine, sparking protests and clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli forces. The situation has raised concerns over the religious rights of Palestinians and their freedom to worship at their holy sites without any restrictions.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an emergency meeting to discuss the recent Israeli attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam. Following the Israeli forces’ violent attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the brutal assault of dozens of Palestinian worshippers, the United Arab Emirates and China demanded a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque
The attack at Al-Aqsa Mosque took place on Tuesday night, with heavily armed police officers entering the site and firing tear gas and stun grenades into the Qibli prayer hall, the building with the silver dome. The mosque was filled with hundreds of men, women, elderly people, and children who were staying overnight to pray peacefully during the holy month of Ramadan.
