Jerusalem, Feb 20 (EFE).- Around 80,000 Palestinians gathered at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque compound for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan, significantly fewer than in previous years due to Israeli access restrictions, according to officials overseeing the site.
In previous years, when restrictions were less stringent, attendance exceeded 200,000 worshippers.
According to sources from the Waqf, the Jordanian authority that administers the holy site, current turnout resembles that of an ordinary day rather than one during Islam’s holiest month.
Israeli authorities have stated that up to 10,000 Palestinians from the West Bank may enter Jerusalem for prayers, limited to children under 12 accompanied by an adult, men over 55 and women over 50.
Officials have maintained that these measures apply only to West Bank residents.
However, another Waqf source said that in practice the restrictions depend on personnel at checkpoints and often affect a broader range of worshippers.
“Today, most men, as well as many young women, were turned back,” the source said, referring to Palestinians from Jerusalem and other areas who attempted to access the compound, known to Muslims as Al Haram al Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Since early morning, thousands of Palestinians gathered at Israeli military checkpoints around Jerusalem, particularly at Qalandia, north of the city, which separates Jerusalem from the West Bank.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, only about 2,000 of the 10,000 worshippers permitted under official guidelines were able to cross into Jerusalem.
Videos shared by journalists at Qalandia showed clashes between Israeli soldiers and some reporters and paramedics present at the scene.
Beyond limiting access to prayers, Israeli police have also restricted other traditional Ramadan activities in the Old City, including decorative lighting at Damascus Gate and the evening food stalls that typically draw large crowds after the breaking of the fast.
Israeli police released images of Palestinians heading toward the compound, stating that officers were working to “safeguard the passage to the Temple Mount,” the term used in Jewish tradition for the site. EFE
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