Occupation prevents Jerusalemites from Eid prayers in Al-Aqsa and assaults worshippers

Sadness and forced calm overshadowed the occupied city of Jerusalem on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, as the usual celebrations were absent due to the occupation's tightened security grip and its prevention of worshippers from reaching the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. The city's streets and the alleys of the Old City appeared empty of the crowds that used to revive Eid rituals in the mosque's courtyards, turning Eid into a day of oppression and pain.

Field sources reported that occupation forces continued to close the entrances to Al-Aqsa Mosque and prevented entry since the early morning hours, a measure that has been ongoing since the outbreak of recent military confrontations about three weeks ago. This reality was clearly reflected on the faces of hundreds of citizens who gathered in front of the Old City gates in a desperate attempt to reach their first Qibla.

Citizen Wajdi Muhammad Shweiki described the atmosphere as extremely painful, pointing out that depriving Muslims of prayer in the third holiest site represents a catastrophic situation that extends beyond Jerusalem to all Muslims in the world. He affirmed that confiscating the right to worship on this blessed day deepens the bleeding Palestinian wound due to the ongoing war.

Since the start of the military escalation 21 days ago, the occupation authorities have imposed strict restrictions, including preventing entry to holy sites in the Old City, including the Buraq Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Noble Sanctuary. Israeli security agencies cited security reasons for imposing a ban on gatherings of more than fifty people in these vital areas.

Over the past few days, a number of worshippers tried to break the imposed siege by performing prayers near the Old City walls under close surveillance by police officers. However, these attempts were often met with physical assault and forced removal, in an attempt to prevent any Palestinian gathering inside or around the city's historical center.

With the dawn of Eid, small groups of men and youth arrived carrying their prayer mats, trying to approach the gates while chanting Eid takbeers and shouts of testimony. Occupation forces confronted these groups with excessive force and fired tear gas canisters to disperse them and prevent them from gathering in the squares leading to the mosque.

Despite the continuous repression, worshippers insisted on remaining in their places, which eventually prompted the occupation police to allow them to perform a quick prayer in the middle of the street. An imam led the worshippers from a plastic chair in the middle of the road, a scene that embodies the suffering of Jerusalemites and their insistence on practicing their rituals despite the security restrictions.

The scene did not end with the conclusion of the prayer, as occupation forces pursued the worshippers as they left the area through the narrow alleys and assaulted some of them. Eyewitnesses described the scene as unusual and desolate, especially when compared to previous years when more than a hundred thousand worshippers flocked to the Al-Aqsa courtyards.

For his part, Ayman Abu Nijm, a resident of Beit Hanina, pointed out that the original intention is to perform prayers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque and not in the surrounding streets. Abu Nijm affirmed that this period is the longest in the history of closures that the mosque has been subjected to, indicating an unprecedented escalation in the occupation's policies towards holy sites.

Citizen Ziad Minna expressed his deep sadness, explaining that the beginning of Ramadan promised good, but the closure of the mosque and the outbreak of war turned joy into a choke. He added that sadness and oppression have become the dominant feature for the city's residents who feel isolated and deprived of their most basic religious and national rights.

In contrast, a spokesperson for the occupation police claimed that security forces allowed prayers to be held in the street without direct intervention initially, despite the state of high alert. He claimed that the intervention only came when the crowds exceeded the permitted numbers and tried to storm the Old City, alleging that the measures aim to protect the public from missile threats.

These developments come amid the ongoing war and bombardment, making this year's Eid al-Fitr one of the most difficult Eids for the city of Jerusalem. Al-Aqsa Mosque remains hostage to military measures that prevent thousands of Palestinians from accessing it, amid international silence and an escalation in the pace of daily violations.

This Ramadan is sad and painful due to the confiscation of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and what is happening represents a catastrophic situation for Palestinians and Muslims in general.