Tens of thousands of Palestinians flock to Al Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayer

Al Aqsa Mosque

About 150,000 Palestinians have gathered at Al Aqsa Mosque in defiance of Israel's visitation restrictions and violent attacks on worshippers during the holy month.

Roughly 150,000 Palestinians have gathered at the flashpoint Al Aqsa Mosque on the third Friday of Ramadan.

At the entrance of Ramallah's Qalandia military checkpoint, tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered in a bid to reach the mosque, which has seen tensions soar in the last weeks as Israeli forces attacked worshippers during the holy month.

The Israeli authorities allowed women of all ages from the occupied West Bank to visit Jerusalem during Ramadan, while only men older than 50 were allowed to attend prayers at Islam’s third holiest site.

Arwa Salah, who hailed from Al Ram town, adjacent to the northern neighbourhoods of Jerusalem, was also forced to pass through the military checkpoint under restricted measures.

"Before the Israeli authorities built the separation wall, it was just 20 minutes to arrive at Al Aqsa Mosque. Today, it takes two hours," she explained.

Since the creation of the separation wall in 2002, the holy city of Jerusalem has been isolated from all sides and visits by Palestinians from the occupied West Bank has become much more complicated and limited.

Israel prevents Palestinians from the occupied West Bank from reaching Jerusalem except on the Fridays of Ramadan.

Moreover, it doesn't allow Palestinians in besieged Gaza to visit the city throughout the year.

TRT WORLD