70,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa amid Israeli restrictions

More than 70,000 Palestinians performed Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem despite Israeli restrictions imposed since October 2023, according to Islamic authorities.

The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said more than 70,000 Muslim worshippers were able to access the mosque compound for prayers.

Dozens of Israeli police officers were deployed across the Old City, including near the compound’s external gates and surrounding alleyways, an Anadolu correspondent reported.

Israeli police stopped several young Palestinians in the area, checked their identification documents, he added.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have prevented tens of thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from entering Jerusalem and accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers. Al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third-holiest site.