The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf reported that nearly
60,000 worshippers gathered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards to perform
Isha and Taraweeh prayers on the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan,
despite intensified restrictions at the mosque’s gates and surrounding areas.
The Waqf stated that worshippers arrived from
various neighborhoods across occupied Jerusalem and from the 1948 territories,
in addition to a limited number of residents from the West Bank who were able
to cross military checkpoints around the Holy City.
Local sources indicated that Israeli forces
imposed strict measures on entry to the compound, reportedly preventing many
young people from accessing the mosque through the Gate of the Chain ahead of
the evening prayers.
