250k Palestinians Pray At Al-Aqsa Mosque Ahead Of International Quds Day

By Staff, Agencies

Thousands of Palestinians performed prayers in the square of the holy al-Aqsa Mosque, amid restrictions from the ‘Israeli’ occupation’s police forces.

The Islamic Endowment Department in occupied al-Quds estimated the number of worshippers at around 250,000.

Meanwhile, defenders of the Palestinian cause and all freedom seekers worldwide prepare to mark the International Quds Day.

The worshippers congregated en masse where they performed prayers on Wednesday night in the holy al-Aqsa Mosque, defying all ‘Israeli’ threats against such gathering.

As in previous years, tensions between Palestinians and the occupation regime have ramped up since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, with ‘Israeli’ occupation forces stepping up raids of al-Aqsa Mosque, assaulting Muslim worshippers inside prayer halls, and providing protection to the ‘Israeli’ settlers desecrating Islam’s third holiest site.

Last Friday, at least 150,000 Palestinians thronged the holy site to attend prayers, despite restrictions imposed on the entry of worshipers to the holy site.

On the same day, ‘Israeli’ forces raided the mosque after dawn prayers and fired rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at the Palestinian worshippers at the Dome of the Rock inside the compound.

The latest wave of ‘Israeli’ crimes has sparked widespread condemnation from Muslims and other supporters of the Palestinian cause across the world. Large anti-‘Israeli’ rallies were held in many European cities and Canada on Tuesday.

The persisting violence has also fueled fears among the Zionist occupiers of an outbreak of a new war with Gaza.