50,000 worshippers perform Tarawih prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli restrictions

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - Around 50,000 Palestinian worshippers performed Tarawih prayers Thursday at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, despite Israeli restrictions.

Tarawih prayers are special night prayers that are performed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

In a brief statement, the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said nearly 50,000 worshippers attended Tarawih prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of the second Friday of Ramadan.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli forces closed Al-Wad Street in Jerusalem's Old City, hindering access to the mosque.

Israel has restricted Palestinian worshippers’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque amid growing tensions across the occupied West Bank due to the Israeli army’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas that has left nearly 32,000 people dead.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.