Despite military restrictions... 50,000 perform Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque

Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed a massive influx of worshipers performing Friday prayers, with the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem estimating their numbers at around 50,000 worshipers. This spiritual migration came in response to calls for steadfastness and pilgrimage to the Noble Sanctuary, despite continuous attempts to empty it and surround it with military barracks.

Field sources reported that the occupation forces transformed occupied Jerusalem into a military barracks, with armed elements heavily deployed on the roads leading to the mosque. These forces erected iron barriers to obstruct pedestrian movement and carried out extensive identity checks on citizens, which prevented a large number of young men from reaching the Old City.

These measures come amidst a systematic escalation targeting worshipers, as the occupation seeks to impose a new reality that restricts the Palestinian presence in Al-Aqsa Mosque. Forces stationed at the gates deliberately turned back many visitors under flimsy security pretexts, in an attempt to intimidate worshipers and reduce their numbers inside the courtyards and covered prayer areas.

It is worth noting that the occupation authorities have continued to impose a strict siege on Jerusalem for three years, preventing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip from accessing their mosque. Currently, the possibility of prayer is limited to the residents of Jerusalem and the occupied interior, who in turn face a series of complications and restrictions aimed at isolating Al-Aqsa Mosque from its Palestinian surroundings.

Approximately 50,000 worshipers were able to reach the mosque and perform prayers in its courtyards and squares, in response to calls for pilgrimage to it.