Al-Aqsa Mosque largely empty on 10th Friday due to Israeli restrictions

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli restrictions prevented tens of thousands of Palestinians from attending Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the tenth Friday since the start of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7.

“Only 7,000 individuals managed to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers, a significant decrease from the usual attendance of over 50,000 on regular Fridays,” an official from the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem informed Anadolu.

The official, who chose to remain anonymous, added: “Israeli restrictions persist, hindering tens of thousands of worshippers from reaching the mosque for prayer.”

Eyewitnesses corroborated, stating that only a few thousand elderly individuals could access the mosque, with its courtyards and prayer areas appearing “almost empty” of worshippers.

Israeli police have imposed limitations on worshippers' entry to Al-Aqsa since the commencement of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7.

At the entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem and the outer gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israeli police erected barriers, permitting only the elderly to pass through.

Police forces were also deployed in the narrow alleys of the Old City, detaining young residents and preventing them from reaching Al-Aqsa, according to eyewitnesses.

Witnesses reported police assaults on worshippers near the Old City when they attempted to bypass barriers to reach Al-Aqsa.

Hundreds of Palestinians were compelled to perform Friday prayers in streets near the Old City, including Salah al-Din Street, Al-Musara, and the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood.

As of Thursday evening, the Israeli military's war on Gaza has resulted in 18,787 fatalities and 50,897 injuries, predominantly affecting children and women.

The war has caused extensive damage to infrastructure, leading to what Palestinian and international sources describe as an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul