45,000 Palestinians Pray at Al-Aqsa After Israeli Closure Amid Tight Military Restrictions
Despite two-week shutdown and heavy Israeli security, tens of thousands return to Al-Aqsa for Friday prayers as Jerusalem faces ongoing repression.
Watan-Tens of thousands of Palestinians performed Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque today, despite severe military restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities and following two weeks of forced closure.
The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem estimated that around 45,000 worshippers prayed at the holy mosque today.
According to local sources, Israeli forces obstructed access to Al-Aqsa through Bab al-Amud and Bab al-Asbat, inspecting IDs and barring several young men and a woman from entering. They also prevented a number of Jerusalemite activists and steadfast worshippers (murabitun) from accessing the Old City.
In addition, Israeli police issued parking fines for vehicles belonging to worshippers parked in Wadi al-Joz and around Bab al-Asbat.
Israeli forces also arrested a young man from the mosque courtyards and expelled one of the mosque guards for one week (renewable). According to the Jerusalem Governorate, the man was arrested in the Dome of the Rock compound during the Friday sermon. The expelled guard, Arafat Njeeb, was taken to an Israeli station and handed a renewable one-week ban from Al-Aqsa.
Israeli authorities reopened Al-Aqsa on Tuesday after a 12-day closure, citing “security concerns” following the military escalation with Iran. However, tight restrictions remain, especially on Fridays, with thousands of West Bank residents still denied entry to Jerusalem unless they obtain special military permits.
بالرغم من كل العراقيل.. الأقصى يمتلئ إيمانًا
آلاف المقدسيين يتدفقون إلى #المسجد_الأقصى لأداء صلاة الجمعة، متحدين إجراءات الاحتلال القمعية.#القدس pic.twitter.com/i4tqgVcVuR
— المسجد الأقصى (@AqsaMosq) June 27, 2025
The decision to reopen the mosque followed the Israeli Home Front Command’s announcement to lift all emergency restrictions and resume normal activity—including reopening schools, businesses, and public gatherings—starting Tuesday evening until Thursday night, June 26, after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was reached.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Jerusalem, Israeli authorities fully closed Al-Aqsa on June 13, allowing only Waqf employees to enter. Six days later, they partially reopened it through Bab Hutta and Bab al-Silsilah, limiting the number of worshippers to 500 and restricting prayer areas to closed indoor sections only. The mosque was then shut again on Sunday, June 22.
During this declared “state of emergency,” Israeli violations did not cease—in fact, they intensified. Israeli forces carried out dozens of arrests, daily raids into Jerusalem neighborhoods, and two severe injuries were reported from explosive bullets. Demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures continued throughout the city.
In a separate incident, Israeli authorities extended the detention of Jerusalemite Aya Abu Nab until next Sunday. She was arrested last Friday from her home in Tamra, inside the 1948-occupied territories, after Israeli police raided her home and damaged its contents.
