Day 169: Jerusalem during “Al-Aqsa Flood” Operation
On the 169th day of "Al-Aqsa Flood Operation", tens of thousands of Muslims flocked to Al-Aqsa on the thirteenth day of the month of Ramadan, amidst the deployment of forces at its gates and on its roads, in addition to police deployment in the streets of Jerusalem.
From the early morning hours until the late evening, worshipers from Jerusalem and the Palestinian 1948 lands flocked to Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform prayers and participate in the religious lessons, and formed circles to read the Qur'an.
The Islamic Endowments Department said that 35,000 worshipers performed the Ishaa and Taraweeh prayers at Al-Aqsa.
The forces continued their deployment and presence at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its roads and the gates of the Old City, and worshippers explained that the forces stopped many young men while heading to Al-Aqsa during the Ishaa and Taraweeh prayers, and checked their identities and subjected some of them to searches.
On the other hand, Firas Al-Jabrini, the lawyer for the Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem, explained that the police released the Jerusalemite activist Mohammad Abu al-Hummos, on the condition that he attend an investigation on Sunday at the "Al-Qishleh" police station, knowing that he was arrested on Friday immediately after leaving Al-Aqsa and was physically assaulted.
The lawyer added that the forces arrested a young man from the Damascus Gate area in the evening.
On the other hand, the commercial movement in the city of Jerusalem, especially the Old City, is still weak for the fifth month in a row, due to the restrictions imposed since the beginning of the war on entry to the city, and subjecting all those arriving to it to identity checks, field investigations and searches, and despite the easing of these restrictions, the forces continue to remain stationed at the gates of the City, especially at Damascus Gate, which is the main gate leading to its markets.
The Jerusalemite merchant Khaled Salfiti - the owner of a shop for antiques and souvenirs - in Khan Al-Zeit market explained that the economic situation in the city of Jerusalem is very difficult, pointing out that the commercial movement used to be active in the markets during the month of Ramadan, due to the arrival of the people of the Palestinian 1948 lands in particular and a good number of people from the West Bank, but this year the situation is not the same as before, the markets are empty and many shops are closed.
