Israel prevents thousands of Palestinians from Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa

QUDS, Jan. 01 (YPA) – The Israeli occupation police on Friday prevented thousands of Palestinians from performing Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, forcing hundreds of them to perform prayers in the streets near the mosque.

Eyewitnesses said that since the morning hours, Israeli police prevented Palestinians other than residents of the Old City from entering it.

The police officers explained their decision to the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of Corona virus, including preventing residents from moving more than one kilometer from their homes.

Hundreds of citizens performed Friday prayers near the walls of the Old Quds after they were prevented from entering the town to reach the mosque.

In the Friday sermon at the mosque, Sheikh “Ikrimah Sabri,” the preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, condemned preventing worshipers from arriving to perform prayer.

He explained that worshipers were prevented from accessing the mosque “under the pretext of the Corona epidemic, while at the same time the Jewish extremists’ incursions into Al-Aqsa continued and did not stop.”

YPA