In pictures: Ramadan's first night at Al Aqsa Mosque

Muslims performed Tarawih prayer on the first night of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at Masjid Al Aqsa Compound in occupied East Jerusalem, while some Palestinians prayed outside in the streets of the Old City.

The pictures show fewer numbers of worshipers praying in the compound amid access restrictions imposed by the Israeli police which announced earlier the deployment of additional forces around the compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

The deployment came as thousands of Palestinians prepared to perform the Tarawih, special night prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on Sunday.

According to Israeli Channel 12, the police deployment comes amid concerns of a security flare-up in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank during Ramadan.

Text messages were sent to the phones of Jerusalem residents warning against involvement in any unrest, the broadcaster said.

Al Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognised by the international community.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against Gaza after a cross-border attack by Hamas last October.

In Gaza, despite the destruction and insecurity due to ongoing Israeli attacks, Palestinians performed Tarawih in first night of Ramadan near makeshift houses.