Thousands of worshipers performed Friday Prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem as Israeli police forces deployed in large numbers around the site.

Jerusalem's Islamic Awqaf Department said that about 40,000 worshipers from Jerusalem, the West Bank, the 1948 occupied territories and some Arab countries attended Friday Prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Aqsa preacher Mohammed Husein in his Friday sermon hailed the worshipers who came to al-Aqsa Mosque for prayer despite Israeli restrictions, checkpoints and harassment.

Sheikh Husein also called on the Palestinians to intensify their presence at holy sites, especially al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil, to protect them against Israeli attacks and Judaization attempts.

At dawn thousands of Palestinian citizens gathered at al-Aqsa Mosque for prayer as part of a campaign to defend the mosque against settler raids.

Israeli police forces, following the prayer, stormed the mosque and assaulted the worshipers injuring five of them.

 

Source: The Palestinian Information Center