Despite military restrictions.. 140,000 perform Eid al-Adha prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque

The blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed a massive influx of worshipers from the early hours of Eid al-Adha, as nearly 140,000 Palestinians defied the strict military measures imposed by the occupation authorities around the Holy City. Sources in the Islamic Endowments Department confirmed that crowds of worshipers filled the courtyards and covered prayer areas, in a scene that embodies adherence to the Islamic identity of the holy sites despite continuous attempts at obstruction.

The Eid takbeers (chants) began in the precincts of the first Qibla for Muslims at 6:10 AM, in adherence to the time set by the Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein. An atmosphere of spirituality and joy prevailed among the worshipers who flocked from various neighborhoods of Jerusalem and the occupied territories of 1948, affirming their natural and religious right to access their mosque and perform their rituals freely.

In contrast, the occupation forces transformed the city of Jerusalem and its Old City into a military barracks, where they erected iron barriers at the main gates and provocatively checked the identities of citizens. Field sources reported that these restrictions prevented a large number of young men from entering the mosque, forcing some of them to perform prayers in the nearby streets adjacent to the Old City walls.

The occupation's violations were not limited to prevention and inspection, but also included a campaign of arrests and direct assaults inside and around the Noble Sanctuary. Occupation forces arrested the media official in the Islamic Endowments Department, Firas Al-Dibs, while he was in the courtyards, in a move aimed at restricting the staff working in the mosque's administration and documenting events.

Sources also recorded a brutal assault at 'Bab Hutta', where a Palestinian girl was beaten and abused by occupation soldiers who removed her hijab before arresting her and taking her to interrogation centers. These practices come within the context of the systematic escalation policy pursued by the occupation authorities to intimidate worshipers and reduce the Palestinian presence in Al-Aqsa Mosque during major religious occasions.

The crowds of worshipers who revived the Eid rituals this season reached approximately 140,000, filling the courtyards and covered prayer areas despite the field restrictions.