More than 60,000 Palestinians perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque

JERUSALEM: More than 60,000 Palestinians performed Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, but there was no atmosphere of celebration, instead mourning the ongoing casualties of Israel’s continuous war in the Gaza Strip for over six months now.

A large contingent of Israeli police officers was deployed at the entrances, surroundings, and city streets, according to Anadolu Agency. Quoting the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem in a statement, it said more than 60,000 worshipers performed prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Eid al-Fitr, the major celebration for Muslims after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

According to Anadolu’s correspondent, despite the rain, Muslims began arriving at the mosque before dawn. However, witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli police attacked several individuals as they entered and exited the mosque in the Bab al-Asbat and Bab al-Silsila areas of the Old City.

Israeli police prevented some of them from entering Al-Aqsa, so they prayed outside the mosque gates. Israel has restricted Palestinian Muslims’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque amid escalating tensions throughout the occupied West Bank due to Israel’s continuous military attacks in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in the world for Muslims. Jews refer to the area as Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

— BERNAMA-ANADOLU AGENCY