50,000 Perform Friday Prayers at Al-Aqsa Despite Israeli Restrictions
About 50,000 worshippers prayed at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli restrictions, as Palestinians renewed calls for ribat against escalating Israeli violations.
PALESTINE, PUREWILAYAH – Tens of thousands of Palestinians performed Friday prayers at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque despite restrictions and measures imposed by Israeli occupation forces on worshippers and those seeking to reach the holy site.
According to Jerusalem sources, around 50,000 worshippers performed the Friday prayer within the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque despite restrictions that prevented many Palestinians from reaching the mosque.
Palestinians from the occupied interior were able to reach Al-Aqsa and perform the prayers after arriving on buses from Jaljulia and other towns. However, Israeli occupation police prevented dozens of others from entering, checking their identification cards and obstructing their access.
Calls to Maintain Presence at Al-Aqsa
Calls continue for Palestinians to travel to Al-Aqsa Mosque, perform Friday prayers, and maintain ribat (steadfast presence) within its courtyards, affirming the mosque’s Islamic identity and rejecting Israeli attempts to impose control over the holy site and alter its historical and legal status.
Growing Concerns Over Israeli Measures
The calls come amid escalating settler incursions and violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, alongside ongoing efforts by the Israeli occupation authorities to undermine the authority of the Islamic Waqf Department and impose a new reality aimed at Judaizing the mosque and stripping it of its Arab and Islamic identity.
The calls also stressed the importance of sustained mobilization and ribat at Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing it as the first line of defense against Israeli plans to impose temporal and spatial division of the holy site and assert control over Islamic sanctities in occupied Jerusalem. (PW)