OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Tens of thousands of Palestinians performed Friday prayer at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite obstacles set up by Israeli occupation forces around the Old City of occupied Jerusalem and the Mosque itself.
The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem reported that 40,000 worshippers participated in the Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa, as well as funeral prayers in absentia for the souls of martyrs from Gaza and the West Bank.
Occupation forces arrested Sheikh Iyad Al-Abbasi, Al-Aqsa’s Friday preacher and Chief Judge of Jerusalem, as he exited from Bab al-Silsila, one of the Mosque’s gates, following his sermon which included references to Gaza. He was later released after being threatened not to speak about Gaza again.
Israeli police persist in harassing the Aqsa preachers. Last Friday, Israeli police forces arrested the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, after his Friday sermon. He was later released but banned from entering the Mosque for a week, subject to renewal.
In a related incident, the occupation forces expelled Jerusalemite activist Nitham Abu Rummouz from the Old City and prevented him from performing Friday prayer at Bab al-Asbat (Lion’s Gate).
Many young men around the Old City were detained, had their IDs checked, and others were prevented from accessing the Aqsa Mosque for prayer.
