Over 120,000 Palestinian worshippers performed their prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, despite intense Israeli restrictions and assaults and denying entry to thousands of others. 

مشاهد من المسجد الأقصى المبارك عقب أداء الآلاف صلاة الجمعة الأخيرة من رمضان pic.twitter.com/5yFChv6kvT

— شبكة العاصمة الإخبارية (@alasimannews) April 5, 2024

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Palestine reported that people who tried to get the Mosque from the West Bank performed their prayers at the Qalandiya crossing, after being denied entry.

On the fourth and last Friday of the holy month of #Ramadan, the Israeli occupation tightens its restrictions on #Palestinians, including the elderly, at the Qalandia checkpoint in the occupied #WestBank that leads to the al-Aqsa Mosque.

- Al Mayadeen's correspondent, Nisreen… https://t.co/9B31yAJv1s

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 5, 2024

Israeli occupation forces also imposed severe restrictions on worshippers inside the Mosque, inspected their IDs at the gates of the Old City and the steps of the mosque, and prevented several of them from entering its vicinity. 

Moreover, the IOF forced back tens of elderly individuals back to the Qalandiya and Beit Lahm checkpoints, after they had made their way to the Mosque, claiming that they did not have the required entry permits. 

IOF assault worshippers mid-prayer

Meanwhile, confrontations broke out between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian worshippers at the Bab al-Asbat. Moreover, the IOF arrested three Palestinian youths who have not been identified yet.

Following the Fajr (dawn) prayer, thousands of #Palestinians voice support to the Palestinian Resistance from the sacred courtyards of the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds.#AlQuds #Palestine #AlAqsaMosque https://t.co/LT5QyYKQsP

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 5, 2024

At Friday dawn, during the Fajr prayer, the IOF assaulted thousands of worshippers while praying in the al-Aqsa Mosque. Cases of suffocation among Palestinians were reported as Israeli forces launched a barrage of tear gas bombs and arrested five individuals. 

إصابات بالاختناق في صفوف المصلين في #المسجد_الأقصى المبارك بعد إطلاق قوات الاحتلال وابلاً من قنابل الغاز.#الميادين #طوفان_الأقصى #طوفان_الأحرار pic.twitter.com/bVUrsUAc5r

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) April 5, 2024

Israeli occupation forces also announced the deployment of 3,600 soldiers to east al-Quds, amid expectations that tens of thousands of worshippers would flock to the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Read more: IOF kill Palestinian, withdraw under Resistance fire in West Bank

Steel barricades and cages all around Al-Aqsa Mosque

Two weeks ago, pictures of the Israeli occupation police placing cage-like steel barricades on all gates leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, specifically King Faisal, al-Ghawanmeh, and al-Hadid gates have been circulating all over social media. However, the spokesperson for the Israeli occupation police claimed that this dangerous and unprecedented move was merely routine maintenance work.

Commenting on the latter, the al-Aqsa Mosque preacher, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, expressed his condemnation of the barricades and cages "collectively and in detail" stressing that this move was a unilateral one taken by the occupation. 

Sheikh Sabri emphasized that this move showcases the occupation's ambitions of enforcing dominance and control over the mosque highlighting that all Israeli occupation's measures relating to the Mosque completely contradict the freedom of worship as they should not specify the age or number of worshipers. 

The preacher called on the worshipers to "heed the call of the Messenger of God Prophet Mohammad to head toward the al-Aqsa," calling on any worshipper who is prevented entrance by the occupation to pray wherever they are stopped. 

BREAKING| Israeli forces start installing steel barricades on the entrances to Al Aqsa mosque in occupied Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/wv7WJ1V8h9

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) March 14, 2024