50,000 Perform Friday Prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque

SadaNews - Thousands of citizens performed Friday prayers at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid stringent military measures imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities on access to the mosque.

The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem estimated that around 50,000 worshippers performed Friday prayers within the precincts of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Local sources reported that occupation forces disrupted access for worshippers to Al-Aqsa to perform the prayer through the Damascus Gate and the Lions' Gate, checking their identities and stopping several young men, preventing them from entering the mosque.

The same sources added that occupation forces closed the road leading to the Lions' Gate to vehicle traffic, coinciding with the incursion of a group of settlers into the area.

The occupation forces continue to impose strict restrictions on the entry of worshippers to Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially on Fridays.

The occupation authorities deny thousands of citizens from the West Bank access to Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque, requiring special permits to cross their military barriers surrounding the holy city.