The occupation announced that ten thousand Palestinians from the West Bank are allowed to perform Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa weekly during Ramadan, with stringent age and security restrictions imposed.
Access to Al-Aqsa Mosque will be limited to men aged 55 and above, women aged 50 and above, and children up to the age of 12 from the West Bank residents.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli defense ministry body responsible for coordinating civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, reported that "ten thousand Palestinian worshippers will be allowed to enter the Temple Mount to perform Friday prayers throughout the month of Ramadan, provided they obtain a special daily permit in advance."
It added, "Men aged 55, women aged 50, and children up to the age of 12 will be allowed entry when accompanied by a first-degree relative."
COGAT explained to the French Press Agency that the restrictions affect those coming from the West Bank.
It emphasized that "all permits are subject to prior security approval from the relevant security authorities" and that those wishing to visit the mosque "must undergo digital documentation at the crossings upon their return" to the West Bank after the prayer.
This week, Israel tightened restrictions around Al-Aqsa, according to the Islamic Waqf Department supervising it and the Governorate of Jerusalem under the Palestinian Authority.
An official from the Waqf Department stated that Israeli authorities have prohibited "the preparation of clinics and medical teams and the installation of shades... there are no facilities at all," and that police "threaten to prevent the entry of meals for Iftar and Suhoor" during the month of Ramadan.
Moreover, one of the prominent imams of the mosque and a Sharia judge told the French Press Agency on Tuesday that they had received a decision from the Israeli police ordering their removal from the compound.
In contrast, an Israeli police official said that their forces would be deployed around the Al-Haram Al-Sharif "day and night" during Ramadan.
