Tens of thousands of Palestinian worshippers gathered at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday to perform the weekly congregational prayer, despite cold weather and strict military measures imposed by Israeli occupation authorities on access to the holy site.

The Islamic Waqf Department stated that approximately 50,000 worshippers attended Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Worshippers began arriving in the early morning hours from various neighborhoods of Jerusalem as well as from within historic Palestine, overcoming checkpoints, barriers, and intensive searches at the mosque’s gates.

Israeli occupation forces continued to enforce tight restrictions on entry to the compound, a practice that is routinely intensified on Fridays. Numerous worshippers reported delays and harassment at checkpoints surrounding the Old City, while access to the mosque was closely monitored.

In addition, Israeli authorities prevented thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank from reaching Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa. Residents of West Bank provinces are required to obtain special permits to cross military barriers encircling the city—permits that are often denied, particularly during periods of heightened tension.

Despite these obstacles, the large turnout underscored Palestinians’ determination to maintain their religious presence at Islam’s third-holiest site, amid ongoing restrictions on freedom of worship in occupied Jerusalem. (ILKHA)