Worshipers moved beyond occupied Palestine to the occupied al-Kud compounds, facing Israeli security presence at the entrance to the old town.
According to Al Mayadeen, Israeli occupation forces deployed checkpoints, inspected their IDs and blocked access for many people trying to reach the mosque. Still, large-scale voter turnout highlighted the religious and national significance of Eid Al Ada in Al Aksa.
Witnesses reported that Israeli forces stationed at gates in multiple old towns created a bottleneck and refused to enter the scores of Palestinian worshippers, including women and seniors. Rights groups and religious authorities have condemned the measure as part of a broader policy of Israel’s restrictions on worship in occupied al-Kud.
Following the prayer conclusion, a group of Israeli settlers entered through Bab al-Asbath and chanted provocative slogans. This is an act that the Palestinians viewed as a deliberate provocation on a sacred day.
In a modest action on the occupied West Bank, Israeli occupation forces banned Muslim worshippers from accessing the Ibrahimi Mosque in Al Khalil on the first day of Eid al-Ada. The closure extends to the mosque courtyards, gates and surrounding facilities, further increasing tensions.
Mundid Al Jabari, acting executive director of the Alkaline Fund, told WAFA news agency that Israeli forces had blocked access to the eastern gate of the mosque. According to Al Jabari, this marked seven times this year that access was denied at Ibrahimi Mosque, particularly on Friday, during both Eid Holidays.
Al Jabari emphasized that the Islamic waqf refused to accept partial extradition of the mosque. “We have a strong position on accepting imperfect extradition,” he said, emphasizing that the decision “sends a clear message that violations on the rights of Muslims in their holy sites will never be accepted.”
He urged Palestinians to increase their presence in mosques on religious occasions, defend their Islamic identity, and pressure the international community to intervene in “Israel” and halt active measures aimed at transforming them into what he described as “the synagogue of the Talmud.”
This year’s Hajj comes amid the backdrop of bloody escalating throughout the region, saying, “The genocide on Israeli Gaza has entered 21 months. The relentless shelling, mass displacement and starvation tactics used against the Palestinians have attracted global condemnation of “Israel.”
MNA