125,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa despite Israeli restrictions

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Around 125,000 Palestinian worshipers performed the third Friday prayer of the holy month of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem, despite Israeli restrictions, an official said.

Sheikh Azzam al-Khatib, the director-general of the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, told Anadolu that the number is considered lower than usual for this time of Ramadan, as the number was estimated to be around 250,000 on the same day last year.

A heavy contingent of Israeli police was deployed at the entrances, surroundings, and alleys of the city, as well as at the external gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Only men over age 55 and women over 50 were allowed by the Israeli authorities to enter occupied East Jerusalem on condition of possessing entry permits.

Sheikh Yusuf Abu Sneineh, the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, condemned in his Friday sermon international inaction over Israel's actions in Gaza, where Palestinians face famine almost six months into the devastating military campaign.

Israel has waged its offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.

More than 32,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, besides causing mass destruction, displacement, and conditions of famine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

In a Thursday order, the ICJ called on Israel to take measures “without delay” to ensure “the unhindered provision” of basic services and humanitarian assistance, including food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. The world court said “Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine ... but that famine is setting in.”

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi