Occupied Jerusalem – About 50,000 Palestinian worshipers performed today Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem, pledging to protect the holy site from Israeli violations.
Despite the massive deployment of Israeli occupation forces in the streets of the Old City and at the holy sites’ gates and in its vanicity, Jerusalem’s Islamic Waqf confirmed that around 50,000 worshipers performed the Friday prayers at the mosque, today.
After performing the prayers, the worshipers gathered at the holy site courtyards, raised the flag of Palestine and chanted slogans in support of the mosque and against Israeli occupation’s violations.
Translation: Raising the flag of Palestine in the Al-Aqsa mosque
Local sources said that well-armed Israeli forces harassed Palestinian worshipers heading to the holy site, earlier today. The forces also searched dozens of Palestinian worshipers’ ID Cards and/or confiscated some of them.
Sources also reported that Israeli occupation soldiers deployed at the Bab Huta Gate, one of the mosque’s gates, attacked the worshipers with clubs while they were entering the mosque to pray.
Translation: Confrontations erupt at the Bab Huta Gate between Palestinian youths and Israeli occupation forces
There have been calls to gather and attend the Friday and Al-Fajr prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque with the intention of marking the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, as Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Adha on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah.
Translation: Palestinian worshipers chanting Eid Takbeer: “Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, there is no god but Allah. And Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.”
The holy site had been, two month ago, the centre of days of Israeli aggressions amid heightened tensions following a series of raids and attacks in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Israeli aggressions included holding the annual far-right “Flag March” on May 29.
Israeli occupation authorities allow settler incursions to the mosque since 2003 under the forces protection, despite repeated objections and warnings by the Palestinian religious authorities as the visits provoke worshippers of the mosque.
In 2021, 34,562 Israeli settlers broke into the holy site, setting a new record, as in 2020, 19,000 settlers broke into the mosque and 29,700 settlers in 2019, according to Al-Qastal, a Palestinian network hub for Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem.
Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times. The complex also includes the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world.
