Israeli occupation forces reportedly stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque’s courtyards and disrupted the movement of worshippers.
More than 40,000 worshippers have performed the Eid al-Adha prayers at the Al-Asqa Mosque in east Jerusalem despite restrictions, while in Gaza hundreds performed the prayers amidst the rubble of homes destroyed in the Israeli military assault on the enclave.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Sunday that Israeli occupation forces prevented dozens from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform the Eid prayers. They also assaulted worshippers both on their way to the mosque and as they were leaving.
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In the early hours of the morning, the occupation forces stormed the mosque’s courtyards, checked the IDs of those inside, disrupted the movement of worshippers, and barred a significant number of young men from entering, forcing them to pray outside the mosque gates, reported WAFA.
Joy to Orphans
In the besieged Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinians performed the Eid al-Adha prayers amidst the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings.
WAFA reported that hundreds of worshipers performed Eid prayers, along with the children, in various areas of Gaza, on top of the rubble, in the remains of mosques, and in open areas.
Palestinian children celebrate Eid Al-Adha in the yards of Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza.
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The usual festive spirit of Eid was notably absent, as prayer leaders emphasized the importance of visiting the families of martyrs, the injured, and the imprisoned, as well as maintaining family ties.
They stressed the need to bring joy to the orphans of the martyrs, as well as the children of the injured and imprisoned.
West Bank Raids
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces detained four Palestinians, including a minor, from al-Mughayyir village, northeast of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.
Local sources told WAFA that the occupation forces raided the village, where they rounded up four people, including a 7-year-old minor, as well as ransacked several houses.
The soldiers set up a checkpoint at the western entrance of the village, obstructing access into and out of it.
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Earlier on Sunday, Israeli forces detained three Palestinians from al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, and another from the Far’a refugee camp, northeast of Nablus, reported WAFA.
The occupation forces frequently raid Palestinian homes across the West Bank under the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians, resulting in clashes with locals.
These raids are conducted without a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers, said WAFA.
According to the latest figures from Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, there are currently 9,300 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 250 child prisoners and 74 female prisoners.
(WAFA, PC)