OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
75,000 Palestinian worshipers performed Friday prayer at the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem amid tight Israeli restrictions.
The Jerusalem Governorate affirmed that tens of thousands of people arrived at the Mosque from early morning.
Israeli police forces prevented Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the imam and preacher of Aqsa Mosque, from entering the compound after he attempted to reach it for Friday prayer.
The police forces also obstructed worshipers’ access, particularly near the Yusufiya Cemetery.
Earlier on Thursday, Jerusalem-based activists and Palestinian groups issued widespread calls urging residents of Occupied Jerusalem and 1948-occupied territories to intensify their presence at Aqsa Mosque on Friday.
These calls come amid escalating Israeli violations against the Mosque, including repeated incursions by settlers and restrictions on worshipers’ entry, as part of efforts to impose a new reality at the holy site.
The activists emphasized the importance of a strong presence and steadfastness in the Mosque’s courtyards, especially on Fridays, as a way of affirming its Islamic identity and rejecting any attempts to alter its religious and historical character.
Meanwhile, dozens of settlers continue to storm the courtyards of Aqsa on a daily basis under heavy protection from Israeli forces, performing Talmudic rituals near the Dome of the Rock.
At the same time, Palestinian calls continue to intensify mobilization and presence at the Mosque to confront the Judaization plans aimed at the temporal and spatial division of the site.
