More than a quarter of a million Palestinian worshippers celebrated on Monday evening the night of the 27th of the month of Ramadan (Laylat al-Qadr) at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid Israeli security tightening.
This came – according to a statement – by the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, and the endowments said that about "280,<> worshipers are celebrating the Night of Power in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Tens of thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and from inside the Green Line flocked to Jerusalem, amid strict measures imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities on the Holy City, and performed Isha and Taraweeh prayers at Al-Aqsa.
The city of Jerusalem has been witnessing continuous escalation since the formation of the last Israeli government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu (Getty Images)
According to eyewitnesses, the Qalandia crossing north of Jerusalem witnessed a suffocating crisis against the backdrop of Israeli forces' tightening of the restrictions on residents coming to the city from the West Bank.
They added that the Israeli army reinforced its forces at the crossings leading to Jerusalem, checked the identities of Palestinians, and refused entry to hundreds.
Prior to Ramadan, Israel issued a decision on West Bank residents entering East Jerusalem for Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Under the decree, the Israeli authorities allow women of all ages, male children up to 12 and men over 55 to reach Jerusalem without prior permits, while requiring a prayer permit during the Ramadan for men aged 45 to 55.
Israeli occupation forces have tightened their security measures in the vicinity of Jerusalem (French)
The new measures do not include residents of the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli occupation authorities prohibit their access to Jerusalem, except after obtaining special permits.
Jerusalem and its suburbs have been witnessing a continuous escalation since the formation of the last Israeli government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu late last year, which Israeli and Arab media describe as "the most extreme in Israel's history."
The repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa have led to tension and clashes across the Palestinian territories and Arab areas inside the Green Line, in addition to rocket fire from Lebanon, Gaza and Syria earlier this month.