Israeli authorities imposed sweeping entry restrictions on Palestinian worshippers on Friday, limiting access from the occupied West Bank into occupied East Jerusalem for prayers at the Al‑Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of Ramadan.
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered before dawn at checkpoints surrounding Jerusalem, hoping to reach the compound, but many were turned back despite holding previously issued permits, according to local officials and witnesses.
Israeli forces reinforced crossings with large troop deployments and senior commanders on site, enforcing a reported cap of 10,000 worshippers from the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian authorities said thousands remained stranded at the Qalandiya checkpoint after the quota was reached.
Tightened restrictions at Ramadan
The tightened measures come as Israel raised its security alert level across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem at the start of Ramadan, amid escalating tensions linked to Israel’s war on Gaza.
Rights groups say Israeli authorities have also increased arrests and expulsion orders in occupied East Jerusalem in recent weeks, while violence, illegal settlement expansion and military raids across the occupied West Bank have surged since the Gaza war started in October 2023.
Palestinians view occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, while Israel considers the city its undivided capital — a dispute that continues to make access to its holiest sites a flashpoint each Ramadan.
