Since the early morning hours, thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank began heading to the occupied holy city through a number of crossings and military checkpoints to perform the first Friday prayers of the month of Ramadan, in light of the occupation's restriction on the access of West Bank residents to Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
The occupation authorities, which deployed large numbers of their soldiers at the entrances to Jerusalem, set up special gates for the movement of worshipers from the West Bank under specific conditions, and imposed strict security measures.
Anadolu Agency quoted witnesses as saying that the occupation army is reinforcing its forces at the crossings leading to Jerusalem, checking the identities of Palestinians and refusing entry to some of them.
The Qalandia crossing north of Jerusalem and Checkpoint 300 south of the city were crowded at the entrance gates from the West Bank towards Jerusalem.
Monday's decision
Last Monday, Israel issued a decision regarding the entry of West Bank residents to East Jerusalem for Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Under the decision, the Israeli authorities allow women of all ages, male children up to 12 years old, and men over 55 years old to access Jerusalem without prior permits, but require a prayer permit during Ramadan for men from 45 to 55 years old.
On the first Friday of Ramadan. Palestinians travel to Al-Aqsa Mosque through Qalandia checkpoint, north of Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/howI9KEwN1
— AlQastal Qastal (@AlQastalps) March 24, 2023
The new measures do not include residents of the Gaza Strip, where Israel denies access to Jerusalem without special permits.
Thousands of Palestinians performed the first dawn prayers on the first Friday of Ramadan, amid measures imposed by the occupying forces.
Arrests and Assaults
Earlier, the Israeli police arrested yesterday evening 4 Palestinian youths in the center of Jerusalem, and assaulted others in the Damascus Gate area in the center of this occupied city.
Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that the undercover unit of the Israeli police arrested two Palestinian youths in the Damascus Gate area, after assaulting them.
The witnesses added that Israeli police arrested two other Palestinians at the tribal prayer hall inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque, shortly before the tension began in the Damascus Gate area.
Before the arrests, hundreds of Palestinians gathered at Damascus Gate to celebrate the month of Ramadan, singing traditional and religious songs, witnesses said.
In the West Bank, the Israeli occupation forces killed Amir Abu Khadija yesterday during the raid on Izbet Shufa, southeast of Tulkarm, and paramedics said that the martyr was killed by a live bullet in the head and several bullets in the lower limbs.
The Israeli army said the dead man was accused of carrying out shooting attacks on Israeli security forces.