Thousands of Palestinians pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque amid Israeli attacks

As many as 150,000 people gathered for Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem despite Israeli attacks in the morning which injured dozens.
2 min read
22 April, 2022
Thousands of Palestinians gathered for Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque [Getty]

Tens of thousands of people gathered for prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday afternoon, despite an Israeli raid earlier in the day that left scores injured.

The Palestinian Authorities said that as many as 150,000 people were in attendance for the Friday prayer, which coincided with the beginning of the last ten days of Ramadan.

Earlier in the morning, at least 75 Palestinians were injured when Israeli security forces stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, Palestinian medics said, in the latest attack by Israel on the Muslim holy site during the month of Ramadan.

Dozens more Palestinians were injured when Israeli troops fired tear gas at Palestinian worshippers in the mosque courtyard after they left the Friday prayer.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service, 14 Palestinians were taken to the hospital in the morning, and three had serious injuries.

Witnesses said police entered the compound after the morning prayers and fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at a crowd of about 200 Palestinians, some of whom threw rocks.

In addition, Israeli police fired rubber bullets from a close range at a group of journalists documenting the clashes, the witnesses said. One photographer, Ali Yassin, was shot in the throat.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers also attacked Palestinian protesters on Friday with tear gas and rubber-coated metal bullets during a demonstration in the town of Kafr Qaddoum.

Jewish extremists who wish to build a temple at the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, backed by Israeli security forces, have stormed the mosque courtyard several times over the past week, leading to daily clashes.

Muslims attend the mosque in increasing numbers during the final 10 days of Ramadan, and an Israeli official said that Jews will be prevented from entering the site at this time.

However, Palestinians accuse Israel of attacking worshippers and allowing Jewish extremists to enter the mosque compound on a regular basis.