150 Thousand Palestinians pray in Al Aqsa and challenge occupation

Despite tight "Israeli" security measures 150,000 Palestinian worshippers attended Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque in East Al Quds (Jerusalem). "Israeli" police had prevented thousands of West Bank residents from reaching the mosque, including the elderly and some permit holders. The arrangements were in place because of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Muslim Worshippers pray outside the Mosque in Jerusalem for lack of space (File)
The "Israeli" police set up several checkpoints on the roads leading to the old city and checked ID cards thoroughly. Mounted police were deployed in the outskirts and helicopters monitored the situation from the air.

In spite of the all the obstacles, thousands of worshippers from Jerusalem and nearby villages, as well as Palestinians from inside "Israel", poured towards Al Aqsa from the early hours of Friday morning.

Meanwhile, hundreds of West Bank residents who were prevented from entering Jerusalem performed their prayers at crossings and checkpoints.

Sheikh Azam al Khateeb, head of the Islamic Endowments, praised those who managed to reach al Aqsa despite the "Israeli" measures and said that the number of people present (an estimated 120,000) was lower than in previous years but the highest Friday figure during this year's Ramadan.

In his speech, Sheikh Mohammad Saleem called for unity especially at this time of the year and urged those who are fighting each other to set aside their differences.