Some 80,000 Muslim worshipers, including several thousand Palestinians from the West Bank, gathered at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the first Friday noon prayer of Ramadan, which passed peacefully under heavy security.
Ramadan Prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Each year during the Islamic holy month, which began Wednesday, Muslims from Israel and the West Bank converge on the Old City of Jerusalem. This year, thousands of police officers were deployed amid concerns of unrest at the site, which has frequently been a flashpoint for violence.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir toured the site before prayers, stating that anyone attempting to disrupt the peace would be “thrashed.”
Jerusalem’s Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian authority administering the site, reported 80,000 people in attendance. Last year, 90,000 people attended the first Friday prayers; however, attendance was in the hundreds of thousands before the 2023 war.
Israeli authorities stated that approximately 8,500 West Bank Palestinians with permits crossed checkpoints into Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa. Israel capped the number of Palestinian worshipers from the West Bank attending Friday prayers at 10,000, as it did last year.
Restrictions were in place for West Bank Palestinians, with only males aged 55 and up, women 50 and up, and children 12 and below accompanied by a first-degree relative permitted to attend prayers.
Worshipers arrived throughout the morning, carrying prayer mats and beads as shopkeepers sold goods to passersby. After prayers concluded, the crowd dispersed from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
Border Police established extensive roadblocks after prayers, directing many exiting worshipers through Lion’s Gate, the easternmost entrance to the Old City.
Some Palestinians with permits were reportedly turned away from crossing into Jerusalem on Friday. Jihad Bisharat said his permit was canceled, and he was sent back. Israel’s army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Thousands of police officers were deployed throughout the Old City and surrounding areas. Ben Gvir conducted a “situational assessment” at the site earlier in the morning.
The Temple Mount is Judaism’s holiest site and was home to the ancient biblical temples. Muslims refer to it as the Noble Sanctuary. It currently houses Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and the Dome of the Rock shrine.
The site has experienced violence, particularly during Ramadan, and has seen clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. Hamas has used the site’s religious symbolism to rally support.
Agencies contributed to this report
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