AhlulBayt News Agency: Around 50,000 Palestinian worshippers performed Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque, defying heavy restrictions imposed by Israeli occupation police on access to the Old City and the sacred compound.
According to the Islamic Waqf Department in occupied Jerusalem, tens of thousands gathered for the weekly prayer, which also included a funeral prayer in absentia for martyrs from Gaza and the West Bank.
Israeli occupation police forces erected multiple checkpoints around the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque, stopping worshippers, confiscating their IDs, and subjecting them to inspections. Officers were also heavily deployed inside the Mosque compound during the sermon and prayer, in a provocative display of force.
During the Friday sermon, Sheikh Muhammad Salim al-Arab condemned the divisions and submission among Arab nations, urging a return to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. He emphasized that Al-Aqsa is part of the Prophet’s legacy and called on Arabs and Muslims to defend its sanctity.
“The Prophet is with you and among you in Al-Aqsa, which he bequeathed to you. Do not squander this inheritance,” Sheikh al-Arab told the congregation, encouraging Muslims to continue visiting Jerusalem to uphold the Mosque’s sacred status.
The gathering underscored both the central role of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Palestinian struggle and the ongoing Israeli efforts to restrict access to one of Islam’s holiest sites.
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