More than 70,000 Palestinian worshippers performed Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque despite strict Israeli military restrictions, in a powerful display of religious devotion and steadfastness amid escalating tensions in occupied Jerusalem.

According to local sources, thousands of Palestinians from Occupied Jerusalem's Old City and Palestinian communities inside Israel gathered at the holy site, overcoming extensive Israeli security measures to attend the congregational prayers.

Israeli forces deployed heavily around the mosque compound, checking identification documents and imposing tight restrictions on entry. Witnesses said dozens of young Palestinian men were denied access, while elderly worshippers were permitted to enter only after undergoing stringent security checks.

The large turnout came as Palestinian religious leaders and Jerusalem-based organizations intensified calls for mass mobilization to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque, urging Palestinians to maintain a continuous presence at the Islamic holy site in response to growing incursions by Israeli settlers and what they described as attempts by extremist groups to alter the historic and legal status quo.

In public statements issued ahead of Friday prayers, the organizations called on Palestinians to travel to Al-Aqsa and fill its courtyards, emphasizing that protecting the mosque is both a religious and national responsibility.

The appeals stressed that sustained Palestinian presence is essential to safeguarding the mosque's Islamic and Arab identity and countering efforts aimed at expanding Israeli control over the revered sanctuary.

According to the Palestinian Information Center "Mu'ta," more than 8,900 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during June, while the center documented 20 incidents it described as desecration of the holy site and two expulsion orders issued against Palestinian worshippers and those who regularly maintain a presence at the mosque.

Palestinian organizations warned that settler activity and campaigns by extremist Israeli groups have continued to intensify, renewing calls for widespread participation in prayers and constant attendance at the mosque.

The campaign primarily targeted Palestinians living in Occupied Jerusalem, communities inside Israel, and those in the occupied West Bank who are able to reach the city, encouraging them to reinforce the Palestinian presence at Islam's third-holiest site.

Organizers said the mobilization aims to reaffirm the Islamic identity of the entire Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and resist what they described as ongoing Israeli efforts to erase Jerusalem's historical, cultural, and religious heritage and reshape the city's historical narrative. (ILKHA)