OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Tens of thousands of Palestinians performed Friday prayer at Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards despite tightened Israeli military restrictions imposed on entrances to the Mosque and Occupied Jerusalem’s Old City.
Israeli forces intensified their deployment around Aqsa Mosque, setting up military checkpoints at its gates and the entrances to the Old City. Worshipers were subjected to searches and identity checks.
Israeli forces also prevented a number of Palestinians from reaching the Mosque as part of ongoing restrictions on freedom of worship and Palestinian access to the holy Islamic site.
Despite the restrictions, thousands of worshipers managed to reach the Mosque and perform Friday prayer, reaffirming their determination to exercise their right to pray and maintain their presence at Aqsa in the face of Israeli measures restricting Palestinian access.
The measures come amid continued incursions by Jewish settlers into Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli police and escalating restrictions aimed at limiting the presence of Palestinian worshipers in its courtyards, particularly on Fridays and during religious occasions.
