Shafaqna English- Tens of thousands of Palestinians performed Friday Prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, defying the severe Israeli restrictions on worshipers’ access to the Mosque.
Israeli police forces intensified their presence in Jerusalem’s Old City and its surroundings, particularly near the Asbat and Damascus Gates, where they set up multiple checkpoints, stopped young men, inspected their ID’s, and prevented some from entering.
These measures came amid continued popular and religious calls to maintain a strong presence and spiritual vigil at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially on Fridays and throughout the week, in defense of the holy site and to protect it from threats posed by Israeli settlers and the authority’s schemes.
The calls emphasized the importance of mass attendance in Aqsa’s courtyards as a reaffirmation of Muslims’ historical and religious rights to the Mosque and a rejection of Israeli attempts to impose division or establish a new Judaized reality in the holy city.
Sources: Palestinian Information Center