For the second Friday of Ramadan, The occupation continues to tighten restrictions on Palestinian access to Al-Aqsa

The Israeli occupation forces imposed severe restrictions on the access of Palestinians from the West Bank to Al-Aqsa Mosque, for the second week in a row during the month of Ramadan, and allowed only men over 55 years of age and women over 50 years of age to enter, on the condition of obtaining prior permits.

On Friday, the Israeli occupation forces imposed severe restrictions on the arrival of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to the city of Jerusalem to perform Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, for the second week in a row during the current month of Ramadan.

The Israeli occupation army and police reinforced their forces at the crossings leading to the city of Jerusalem, where Palestinian identities were checked and hundreds were denied entry.

The Qalandiya Crossing, north of Jerusalem, and Checkpoint 300, south of the city, witnessed light traffic compared to previous years due to the restrictions.

Israeli forces prevented the entry of a large number of men and women, claiming that they did not obtain the necessary permits.

Before Ramadan, the Israeli occupation army said that “on Fridays throughout the month of Ramadan, worshipers from the areas of Judea and Samaria (the biblical name for the West Bank) will be allowed to enter Jerusalem, subject to the possession of a valid magnetic permit, and an assessment of the security conditions.”

He added that only men over the age of 55, women over the age of 50, and children under the age of ten will be allowed to enter.

Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the police have closed all checkpoints around occupied East Jerusalem to West Bank residents.

In parallel with its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation army escalated raids and arrest operations in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, causing confrontations that resulted in the martyrdom of 433 Palestinians and the injury of about 4,700 others, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.