30,000 Palestinians perform Friday prayer at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque
Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- About 30,000 Palestinian worshipers performed today Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem, pledging to protect the holy site from Israeli violations.
Jerusalem’s Islamic Waqf said that despite of Israeli strict restrictions, around 30,000 worshipers performed the Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa, today.
Thousands of worshipers performed Friday prayer at the holy #AlAqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.#AlAqsaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/5PD5abndA9
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 6, 2022
Every Friday, Palestinians stream to the Al-Aqsa mosque, the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims, to recite the Holy Quran before performing Friday prayer.
However, Israeli forces always provoke, assault and arrest the worshipers while heading to the holy site.
On the other side, the forces facilitate and protect the settlers’ incursions to the mosque.
The holy site has been the centre of days of violence amid heightened tensions following a series of raids and attacks in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Yesterday, dozens of well-armed occupation forces raided the holy site, attacked and arrested worshipers inside the mosque. They also fired tear gas canisters, sound bombs, and rubber-coated metal bullets towards the worshipers to disperse them.
Sixteen Palestinians were injured and about 50 males, including the elderly and children, were arrested and escorted out of the compound by the Israeli forces.
The aggressive raid came to make a way for colonial settlers to break into the site to mark the so-called Israel’s Independence Day.
Around 600 Israeli colonial settlers broke into the courtyards of the compound yesterday, performed provocative Talmudic prayers, sang the Israeli anthem and raised the Israeli occupation flags after entering the mosque through the Al-Mughrabi Gate which is under full-Israeli control.
The occupation authorities have allowed settlers’ incursions to the holy site intensively since 2003.
In 2021, 34,562 settlers broke into the holy site, setting a new record, according to Al-Qastal.
19,000 settlers broke into the mosque in 2020 while 29,700 settlers in 2019.
Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.
The complex also includes the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world.
