IOF blocks worshippers from reaching al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayer

By Al Mayadeen English
29 Dec 2023 16:33

Israeli occupation forces prevent Palestinians from reaching the al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers while simultaneously conducting incursions across the West Bank.

Palestinian worshipers who were prevented from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque, pray outside al-Quds' Old City as Israeli occupation forces stand guard on Friday, December 22, 2023. (AP)

Dozens of Palestinian worshipers suffered from suffocation, on Friday, following an assault by the Israeli occupation forces in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood of occupied al-Quds as Palestinians were banned from al-Aqsa Mosque.

Local media reported that the occupation forces banned worshipers from reaching the Holy al-Aqsa Mosque as part of the occupation's policy against Palestinians in occupied Palestine.

Refusing to be subjugated to the Judaization attempts of al-Quds, Palestinians then performed prayers in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood adjacent to the occupied Old City.

The occupation forces then fired rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades, and sprayed worshipers with chemical-laden water, resulting in dozens of cases of suffocation.

Reports underscored that only 12,000 worshipers were able to enter the Holy al-Aqsa Mosque to perform prayers after the IOF prevented hundreds of Palestinians from entering for the morning prayer, and barred those from outside the Old City.

This marks the 12th week of barring Palestinian worshipers from entering al-Aqsa Mosque amid the genocidal war on Gaza, and as escalations intensify across the West Bank and occupied Palestine.

Armenian Quarter in al-Quds faces 'existential threat' amid attack

Earlier, the Armenian Patriarchate Of Jerusalem issued an "urgent communique" confirming that "a massive and coordinated physical attack was launched on Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Seminarians and other Armenian community members" in the Armenian quarter of occupied al-Quds.

The communique explained, "Over 30 armed provocateurs in ski-masks with lethal and less-than-lethal weaponry including powerful nerve-agents that have incapacitated dozens of our clergy broke into the grounds of the Cow's Garden [in the Armenian Quarter] and began their vicious assault," adding that the assault resulted in serious injuries of "several priests, deacons and students of the Armenian Theological Academy along with indigenous Armenians."