Thousands of Palestinians Pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque After Israels Ban

Thousands of Palestinian worshippers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Thursday morning after Israel lifted its restrictions. According to video verified by Al Jazeera, approximately 3,000 individuals attended the morning prayer service. The mosque had been closed for 40 days following a US-Israeli conflict that began on February 28.

The Islamic Waqf Department in occupied Jerusalem confirmed that the doors of Al-Aqsa would be reopened to all worshippers from dawn. The Jordanian-affiliated religious authority responsible for managing the mosque did not provide further details.

Israeli authorities announced the reopening of the mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Wednesday evening, citing “updated instructions from the Israeli Home Front Command”. The statement mentioned increased security reinforcements, including hundreds of police officers and border guards in the Old City of Jerusalem and surrounding areas. These measures aimed to “secure visitors”.

The restrictions had previously prohibited access or limited it to a few dozen individuals at Christian, Jewish, and Muslim sites. This was part of a broader pattern of security measures and closures implemented during the regional conflict that began six weeks ago.

In related news, Israeli forces continued their operations across the occupied West Bank on Thursday. A woman was detained, and a man was assaulted in Nablus, according to reports from the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Additionally, an Israeli soldier fatally shot a 28-year-old Palestinian man near Tayasir village in the northern West Bank.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that over 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank since 2023, with at least 10,000 forcibly displaced.

Source: Al Jazeera