Israeli occupation police block thousands from performing Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque

QUDS, June 20 (YPA) – Israeli occupation police barred thousands of Palestinians from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque for performing Friday prayer, allowing only a few hundred to access the holy site amid heightened military restrictions across occupied Jerusalem.

Eyewitnesses said that the occupation police forces were deployed heavily around the gates of the Old City and the entrances to Al-Aqsa from the early hours of the morning,

Only around 450 people were allowed entry, leaving most prayer halls and courtyards eerily empty during what is normally one of the busiest times at the Mosque, they added.

They noted that most of the prayer halls and courtyards of Al-Aqsa appeared completely empty due to the Israeli restrictions.

On Wednesday evening, Israeli police partially reopened the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque after a full closure lasting nearly six days, following instructions from the Israeli army’s Home Front Command to ban gatherings due to the war with Iran.

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation police have imposed restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, which become more severe on Fridays.

@E.Y.M