Jerusalem, Palestine – Web Desk: Tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers gathered at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform the first Tarawih prayers of Ramadan, despite Israeli restrictions and heightened security measures in the occupied East Jerusalem.
As the sighting of the Ramadan moon was announced, worshippers moved toward the holy site, passing through checkpoints and narrow streets to reach Islam’s third-holiest mosque. Large crowds filled the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, with rows of worshippers extending inside the Qibli Mosque and around the Dome of the Rock compound.
The evening Isha and Tarawih prayers were led by Imam and preacher Sheikh Yusuf Abu Sunaina. Worshippers offered prayers amid an atmosphere marked by grief over ongoing tensions, a recent ceasefire in Gaza, and continuing Israeli operations in the occupied West Bank.
Local authorities had earlier warned that Israeli measures could restrict Ramadan access to the mosque, but worshippers continued to arrive in large numbers, underscoring the site’s religious and symbolic importance for Muslims worldwide.
Al-Aqsa Mosque remains a focal point of religious and political sensitivity in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly during Ramadan, when attendance traditionally increases significantly.
