Israeli occupation police on Friday barred thousands of Palestinians from performing Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Anadolu Agency reported.
Due to Israeli Occupation lockdown regulations, Palestinians who are barred from entering the Old City of al-Quds and Masjid al-Aqsa, perform Jummuah today outside Bab al-Amoud/Damascus Gate#MasjidAlAqsa #Palestine #Jerusalem #AlQuds pic.twitter.com/68XgaOD2wU
— Masjid al Aqsa (@firstqiblah) January 1, 2021
Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli police erected checkpoints at the entries of Jerusalem’s Old City and prevented Palestinians from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Ekrema Sabri condemned the Israeli measures, noting that the Palestinians are being prevented under the pretext of the coronavirus. In contrast, daily tours of Jewish Israeli settlers are being organized and are protected by the Israeli occupation police.
Settlers defile Al-Aqsa courtyards https://t.co/5coY4I4HN0
— Joe Catron (@jncatron) January 3, 2021
“As long as the Palestinians wear their masks, bring their praying mats and maintain social distances, there is no justification to prevent them from entering into the mosque,” Sheikh Sabri expressed, adding:
We call on all Muslims to travel and pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque. We mainly call on the residents of the Old City to keep praying inside the mosque in order to undermine Israeli Judaisation of the occupied West Bank.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
