Twenty-five thousand performed Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque despite the Israeli restrictions, while the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said that it was the largest number of worshipers since the beginning of the war on Gaza on October 7 last.
About 25,000 Palestinian worshipers were able to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, and were able to hold Friday prayers despite Israeli restrictions.
An official in the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said, “Our estimates are that 25,000 performed prayers in the mosque today, despite the Israeli restrictions.”
The official, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained, “This is the largest number of worshipers who have been able to pray in the mosque since the beginning of the war on October 7.”
The Israeli police continued to impose restrictions on worshipers' access to the mosque.
Eyewitnesses said that Israeli police forces set up barriers at the entrances to the Old City and prevented worshipers from entering to reach the mosque.
The police placed barriers at the external entrances to Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing young men from passing except in a few cases.
Large police forces were deployed in the alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The worshipers performed absentee prayers for the souls of the martyrs in Palestine, after the end of Friday prayers.
Dozens of worshipers who were prevented from praying in Al-Aqsa Mosque performed prayers in the streets near the mosque and the Old City.
Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, the Israeli police have imposed restrictions on the entry of worshipers into Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially on Fridays.
Until last Friday, only about five thousand were able to perform prayers every Friday, but the number rose last Friday to 12 thousand.
Observers point out that the increase in the number of worshipers allowed to pray may be related to the approaching month of Ramadan, as tens of thousands of worshipers usually flock to the mosque daily to pray.
“Reward for terrorism.” Netanyahu publicly rejects American efforts to establish a Palestinian state
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his rejection of the idea of establishing a Palestinian state, after talking about an American-Arab plan that would establish a permanent peace between Israel and Palestine, claiming that this idea would be a “huge reward for terrorism” after the events of October 7, 2023.
On Thursday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his rejection of any international efforts to recognize a Palestinian state, claiming that it would “provide a huge reward for terrorism” in the current circumstance.
Netanyahu said in a blog post on the
He added: “Israel absolutely rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians,” stressing that a peace agreement can only result from “direct negotiations without preconditions.”
The American Washington Post newspaper reported on Thursday evening that the far-right Israeli Ministers of National Security and Finance, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, also rejected a plan in this context.
#Heavy rains and floods inundate the camps for displaced Palestinians in the city of #Rafah , exacerbating the suffering of the people in light of the continued Israeli bombing and aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The newspaper reported that the United States, Israel's main ally, is working with Arab allies on a complete plan to establish permanent peace between Israel and Palestine, which includes stopping the fighting, releasing the hostages, and setting a timetable for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state.
The newspaper quoted American and Arab officials as saying that the implementation of this plan will begin with a ceasefire “which is expected to last at least six weeks,” with the hope of reaching an agreement before March 10.
But the two extreme right-wing Israeli ministers considered that “a Palestinian state would constitute an existential threat to the State of Israel.”
“We will never agree to a similar plan that actually says that the Palestinians deserve a reward for the terrible massacre they committed,” Smotrich wrote on the X platform.
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