OCCUPIED PALESTINE — Israel severely restricted Palestinians’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan, deploying large numbers of forces and setting up military checkpoints, while allowing far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to raid the holy site and provoke the Muslim worshipers.
During Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians typically travel from the West Bank to Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa.
Israeli occupation authorities said on Friday they would allow no more than 10,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank into one of Islam’s holiest sites for the day. Under the plan, Palestinians from the West Bank must obtain a special daily permit in advance for each prayer. There are about 3.3 million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank.
Only children under the age of 12, men over 55, and women 50 years or older are eligible.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that only about 2,000 Palestinians were able to cross through the Qalandiya checkpoint towards Jerusalem by the morning, with Israeli checkpoints separating the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Witnesses said Israeli forces turned back dozens of elderly worshipers at thr Qalandia and at the Bethlehem checkpoint, citing lack of the required permits to access Jerusalem.
Sources added that four paramedics were briefly detained and that journalists and medical crews faced obstruction at Qalandia checkpoint.
By late morning, local sources reported that Israeli occupation authorities were claiming the quota on entry to the compound from the West Bank had already been filled, citing the governorate of Jerusalem, one of the 16 administrative districts of Palestine.
According to reports, in previous years, up to 250,000 worshipers were in that holy site, and now only a fraction of that is expected.
In a brief statement, the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said 80,000 worshipers performed the first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli police deployed heavily around the mosque compound and throughout Jerusalem’s Old City and its alleys before the prayers.
Police said that 3,000 officers were deployed across East Jerusalem on Friday.
Meanwhile, local reports said that the Israeli forces banned Palestinians from bringing in Iftar meals to break the fast, for those fasting on Al-Aqsa, including Waqf workers.
Israel has also banned Ramadan decorations and restricted various other traditional ways of celebrating the Islamic holy month.
Earlier, Israel’s National Security Minister Ben-Gvir raided Al-Aqsa Mosque and instructed Israeli police to impose stricter measures on Palestinians during Ramadan.
One of the holiest sites in Islam, Al-Aqsa Mosque stands in East Jerusalem’s Old City, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war.
Over the past years during Ramadan, Israeli forces have repeatedly raided the holy site while Palestinians were praying, assaulting and arresting worshippers while using excessive force, including stun grenades and tear gas. The raids have caused suffocation injuries among worshipers, along with beatings with batons and rifle butts.
In the mornings, forces have also assaulted and forcibly pushed Palestinians out of the compound, preventing them from praying before Israeli settlers were allowed to enter under police protection. — QNN
