Thousands of worshippers celebrate Laylat al-Qadr at Al-Aqsa despite challenges and restrictions
Tens of thousands of Muslims commemorated Laylat al-Qadr, the night of the twenty-seventh of Ramadan, at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Islamic Endowments Department stated that 180,000 worshippers performed the Isha and Tarawih prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Endowments Department prepared religious programs to commemorate Laylat al-Qadr, including “Qiyam al-Layl” (Night Prayers), lessons, and circles of remembrance and knowledge.
The prayer halls and courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque were filled with worshippers arriving from Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, as well as a small number of worshippers from cities and villages in the West Bank due to restrictions and procedures regarding their entry. Muslims from Arab and Islamic countries also attended, while the occupation has continued to prevent the people of Gaza from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque for years.
Imams at Al-Aqsa Mosque took turns performing Isha, Tarawih, and Witr prayers. Sheikh Yousef Abu Sneineh, the imam and preacher of the mosque, concluded the Witr prayer with prayers for the people of the Gaza Strip, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the prisoners. Employees of the Islamic Endowments Department and security forces organized prayer areas for men and women, designated walking paths for walking around Al-Aqsa Mosque, and organized entry and exit to it amidst the overcrowding at its gates.
The occupation authorities transformed the Old City, its surroundings, and the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque into a military barracks, deploying thousands of forces in the streets and roads. Since the afternoon, the forces have closed the streets adjacent to the Old City and nearby neighborhoods, preventing vehicles and buses from passing. They also launched drones over Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City throughout the evening until dawn.
West Bank residents: Struggling to reach Al-Aqsa
Palestinians holding West Bank ID cards explained that the conditions and restrictions allowing them to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque on Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Destiny) included, as on Fridays, a magnetic card and a permit from the Coordinator's App. The permit was limited to Wednesday, from 2:00 PM to 8:00 AM on Thursday. Additionally, the person must return to the checkpoint they left through to sign and provide their fingerprints to confirm their return to the West Bank.
Regarding age restrictions, men under the age of 55 and women under the age of 50 were prohibited from entering, while children under the age of 12 were permitted to enter provided they were accompanied by a parent and presented with a birth certificate.
Worshippers from the West Bank explained that the procedures were complicated until obtaining a permit to enter Jerusalem: “The application was closed, the number was full, or the permit was refused without reason.” Those who were able to obtain a permit had to go to the checkpoints set up at the entrance to Jerusalem (Qalandia and Bethlehem) at two o’clock in the afternoon, “according to the permit,” but they were surprised by procrastination and a deliberate delay of two and a half hours, during which many of the fasting people fainted, and the soldiers were asking them to return under the pretext of “there were no permits for that day.”
Worshippers said they waited more than two hours at the entrances to Jerusalem, and most of them arrived at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Maghrib prayer.
Worshippers holding West Bank ID cards explained that the procedures for obtaining permits are complex, with some being rejected on the grounds of "not returning by the specified time last Friday and being fingerprinted at checkpoints." Residents denied this, stressing that they had complied with the permit procedures, but that "the application had technical problems."
Worshippers said that many of them had received phone calls or had their homes raided to confirm their return home "in recent weeks" after obtaining permits on Fridays.
Residents noted that the occupation deliberately deprives a single family, especially spouses, of obtaining a permit on the same day, allowing the wife and denying the husband, or vice versa.
Confiscation of commercial stalls
Occupation forces attacked a number of street vendors around Al-Aqsa Mosque, confiscating and destroying their goods, especially the "cake" and "safiha" stalls.
Attacking the youth
Forces assaulted dozens of youths in the vicinity of the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque, detaining and physically searching them.
