For Tenth Consecutive Friday: Israeli Restrictions Keep Palestinians Away from Al-Aqsa Mosque

IQNA – Thousands of Palestinians were unable to attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque for the tenth week due to Israeli restrictions imposed since the start of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7.

An official from the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said that only 7,000 worshippers entered the mosque, compared to the usual 50,000 on regular Fridays. The official, who asked not to be named, said that Israeli forces blocked the access of tens of thousands of others, Anadolu Agency reported.

Eyewitnesses said that only a few elderly people could reach the mosque, which looked "almost empty" of worshippers. They also said that Israeli police detained and assaulted young Palestinians who tried to get to Al-Aqsa Mosque through the narrow alleys of the Old City.

Hundreds of Palestinians had to pray in the streets near the occupied al-Quds, such as Salah al-Din Street, Al-Musara, and Wadi al-Joz.

The war on Gaza, which began on Oct. 7, has killed 18,787 people and injured 50,897, mostly children and women, according to Palestinian and international sources. The war has also destroyed much of the infrastructure, creating an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe".

Source: Agencies