RAMALLAH, March 8: The Islamic Endowments Department in occupied Jerusalem reported that approximately 90,000 worshipers attended the first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. However, the Israeli occupation forces imposed significant restrictions on the entry of worshipers into Jerusalem, turning back hundreds of people, including the elderly, and preventing them from crossing military checkpoints to reach the mosque.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement confirming the approval of a recommendation from the Israeli military to allow a limited number of worshipers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to the plan, men over the age of 55, women over the age of 50, and children up to the age of 12 were granted entry, provided they obtained a permit. The occupation authorities announced that Palestinians from the West Bank could access Jerusalem during Ramadan through two designated crossings: one from the city of Bethlehem and another from Qalandia, to the north of Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Governorate, in its own statement, confirmed that only a small number of worshipers were allowed to enter the city under heavy military measures. The authorities turned away elderly people over the age of 70, preventing them from reaching the mosque. Despite previous announcements that 10,000 worshipers would be allowed entry through the two crossings, the Governorate reported that the occupation failed to honor this commitment, calling the situation a dangerous indication that the Israeli occupation seeks to alter the status quo in Jerusalem and impose a new reality on the city.

In response, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a statement condemning the Israeli restrictions. The ministry emphasized that it is neither within the authority nor the right of the Israeli occupation to impose limitations on citizens’ access to pray at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, regardless of any pretext or justification. The ministry also condemned the decision to impose age restrictions, describing it as a "flagrant violation of the occupying power’s obligations under international law" and an infringement on the fundamental right to freedom of movement and access to places of worship.

Furthermore, the ministry argued that the age restrictions imposed on worshipers only served to further limit the number of those able to attend Friday prayers, and rejected the Israeli occupation’s rationale for such limitations. It reiterated that Jerusalem remains occupied Palestinian land under international law and is not subject to Israeli sovereignty.