Israel Restricts Palestinians To Al-Aqsa On The Fourth Friday Of Ramadan

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION/Al Aqsa Mosque

JAKARTA - Israeli authorities banned Palestinians in the West Bank from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on the fourth Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

Israeli troops deployed troops at the crossing to Jerusalem, observing the identities of Palestinians and refusing to enter some of them, according to an eye witness to Anadolu.

Reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, April 5, the Qaland intersection in northern Jerusalem and the checkpoint in the south of the city showed active movement at the entrance gate from the West Bank to Jerusalem.

A 78-year-old Palestinian, Ibrahim Abayat, told Anadolu he was intercepted to reach Jerusalem for no apparent reason Friday morning.

He showed he had obtained special permission three days ago, but Israeli forces refused to allow him to enter.

Similarly, 71-year-old Nihaya Nassar said Israeli authorities prevented her from entering Jerusalem under the pretext of not obtaining special permission.

"This special permit requires the issuance of a magnetic card that takes 12 days to get it," said Nassar. He admitted that he was sad because he missed the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

On Saturday night, tens of thousands of Palestinians are expected to celebrate Lailatul Qadr, the holiest night of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli police announced on Thursday (4/4) that they would deploy 3,600 personnel in the city of East Jerusalem between Friday and Saturday morning prayers.

Prior to the start of Ramadan, the Israeli government announced that during Friday throughout Ramadan, people from Judea and Samaria (the name of their son to the West Bank) would be allowed to enter Jerusalem on condition that they had a magnetic permit card and passed a security assessment.

The Israeli army added that only men over the age of 55, women over the age of 50, and children under the age of 10 were allowed into Jerusalem.

These new rules do not include residents of the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli government prohibits them from entering Jerusalem except with special permission.