Underneath a heavy police presence, tens of hundreds of Muslims attended the primary Friday prayers of Ramadan on the Al-Aqsa Mosque complicated in east Jerusalem, a gathering weighed down by the struggle in Gaza.
Outdated males leaning on sticks, veiled girls and neatly dressed youngsters streamed by way of the gates of the Israeli-annexed Outdated Metropolis for noon prayers, which handed peacefully, though some youthful males had been turned away by police conducting safety checks.
“It's random. They determine who to let in, who to not, and also you don't know why,” stated Amjad Ghalib, a 44-year-old carpenter from the Mount of Olives, who described the aid when he was given entry.
“I’ve to be trustworthy, we’re scared,” he stated, as a prayer mat rested on his shoulder.
“It’s the first yr that I see so many police forces, and their eyes, their look… Two years in the past I may argue with them, however now… they don't give us any likelihood.”
The Al-Aqsa Mosque complicated is the third holiest website in Islam and the holiest website in Judaism, identified to Jews because the Temple Mount.
The positioning has been a flashpoint for violence lately throughout the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and hundreds of cops, some closely armed, had been deployed on Friday.
“There are such a lot of troopers. Wherever you go, you will see them. They make it troublesome,” stated Ezzat Khouis, a 75-year-old tour information, referring to the police.
“Why are they doing this?… This isn’t good for us, not good for the longer term, for peace and for individuals's coexistence.”
– 'Unhappy all day lengthy' –
The Gaza struggle was sparked by Hamas' unprecedented assault on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted within the deaths of about 1,160 individuals, largely civilians, in line with an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
At the least 31,490 individuals have been killed in Israel's retaliatory marketing campaign towards Hamas, in line with the Well being Ministry in Hamas-administered Gaza.
Based on the Ministry of Well being in Ramallah, violence within the occupied West Financial institution has reached unprecedented ranges in nearly twenty years.
Israeli forces and settlers have killed at the very least 430 Palestinians within the West Financial institution because the begin of the Gaza struggle, the ministry says.
For safety causes, Palestinians making an attempt to entry Al-Aqsa from the West Financial institution had been anticipated to face some restrictions this yr, police stated in a press release earlier this week.
Solely males aged 55 and over and girls over 50 are allowed to enter the mosque complicated from the territory, authorities spokesman Ofir Gendelman stated.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's workplace has stated that regardless of the restrictions, worshipers could be allowed to enter the mosque “in comparable numbers” as in earlier years.
However these assurances meant little to some younger males who had been denied entry to the Outdated Metropolis on Friday.
“It's not truthful. Once they refuse to let younger boys in, it hurts me so much,” stated Fida Absiya, who stood on the entrance to the Outdated Metropolis to boost cash for orphans and the much less lucky.
“For the reason that first day of (the struggle) we knew we might have very troublesome days,” a person who declined to provide his title instructed AFP.
Different worshipers from the West Financial institution had been unable to succeed in Jerusalem, together with Umm al-Abd who tried to cross on the Qalandia checkpoint within the north.
“I used to go (to Al-Aqsa) each Friday and I by no means missed (the prayers),” the 50-year-old lady stated.
“At present they didn't let me in. I’m unhappy. I will likely be unhappy all day.”