Tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers were able to perform the Eid al-Adha prayer at the Aqsa Mosque on Saturday morning despite Israeli movement and access restrictions.
According to local sources about 150000 worshipers flocked to the Mosque in the early morning hours to observe the Eid prayer and khutba.
Meanwhile a number of Muslim worshipers who were banished recently by the Israeli occupation police from the Aqsa Mosque performed the Eid prayer on roads near the Islamic holy site.
Following the Eid prayer Muslim worshipers started celebrating and enjoying the religious occasion in the Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards and the Old City’s streets while Palestinian activists were seen distributing gifts to children and sweets to Muslim worshipers inside the holy site.
In the Old City of Jerusalem the Israeli police set up several roadblocks searched Palestinians and their personal belongings and checked their ID cards.
Many Palestinians especially from the West Bank were reportedly prevented from reaching the Aqsa Mosque at the pretext that they had no permits allowing them to enter the holy city.
