Jerusalem: Two weeks after the mosque's closure, 45,000 worshippers performed Friday prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in defiance of the Israeli occupation authorities' stringent military restrictions on entry. About 45,000 worshippers gathered for the prayers, as reported by the Islamic Awqaf Department in Jerusalem.
According to Jordan News Agency, occupation soldiers blocked worshipers' entry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Damascus and Lions Gates, checked their identification, and arrested several young men to prevent them from entering the mosque. These actions are part of the ongoing severe restrictions imposed by the occupying forces on worshipers' access to the mosque, particularly on Fridays.
The restrictions are further tightened by requiring worshipers to obtain special permissions to pass through military checkpoints surrounding the holy city. This policy effectively limits thousands of residents from the West Bank governorates from reaching Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque, thereby highlighting the ongoing tension and conflict in the region.