According to reports, despite severe limitations enforced by Israeli authorities, around 80,000 worshippers gathered at Al-Aqsa Mosque for the first Friday prayer of the holy month of Ramadan.Israeli police halted dozens of young Palestinians near the Lion’s Gate, preventing their entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque to participate in the inaugural Friday prayer of Ramadan.Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the imam and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, stated that the occupying regime had been planning for about a month to restrict the number of worshippers entering the mosque during Ramadan.The imam expressed that the occupiers are displeased with the large presence of thousands of Muslims at Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing security reasons as a pretext for their actions.He further elaborated that the occupiers’ plans aim to diminish the presence of Muslims in Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa Mosque.This year’s actions by the occupying regime during Ramadan have been described as unprecedented with the imam noting that the measures taken by Israel this year are harsher than in previous years.
