In a robust show of religion and defiance, practically 80,000 Palestinians converged on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday for Eid al-Adha prayers – regardless of a suffocating Israeli safety cordon and the grief-stricken air introduced on by the devastating conflict in Gaza.
Worshippers streamed into Islam’s third-holiest website at daybreak, their voices rising with the sacred Takbirat, echoing off the traditional stones of the Old City.
But past the religious chants lay a distinct type of silence – one heavy with loss, worry, and absence.
Israeli police blanketed the compound and its environment with armed items, checkpoints, and surveillance.
While tens of 1000’s made it by way of, many Palestinians from the occupied West Bank had been barred entry beneath sweeping motion restrictions.
Some of them prayed on the gates, separated from their sacred website however not their devotion.
The ordinary buzz of festivity related to Eid was noticeably lacking. Instead, Jerusalem felt like a metropolis mourning in unison with Gaza.
Since October 2023, Israel’s army marketing campaign within the besieged enclave has killed practically 54,700 Palestinians – a staggering toll with most victims being ladies and kids, in response to native well being officers.
The United Nations and humanitarian teams have warned that famine now stalks over 2 million residents trapped in Gaza, with malnutrition hitting youngsters hardest.
The conflict, broadly condemned as genocidal by rights teams and authorized specialists, has sparked worldwide authorized repercussions.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for conflict crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity.
Simultaneously, South Africa launched a genocide case in opposition to Israel on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a case joined by a number of different nations.
Despite a preliminary ruling ordering Israel to forestall genocidal acts and permit support in, Israeli operations proceed unabated.
For Palestinians, Al-Aqsa is greater than a mosque – it’s a image of nationwide identification and resistance. Its location within the Old City of East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since 1967, has made it a perennial flashpoint.
Access to the mosque is managed by Israeli forces, who routinely impose age, gender, and allow restrictions, particularly throughout non secular holidays.
On this Eid al-Adha, which honors Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to God, Palestinians demonstrated their unshakable religion.
The crowd’s presence, although grieving, was a solemn act of religious resistance.
Yet, whilst prayers ended, the battle loomed massive. The restrictions at Al-Aqsa are only one aspect of a broader system of occupation and management – partitions, checkpoints, and bureaucratic hurdles that separate households, crush mobility, and prohibit non secular freedom.
Meanwhile, Israeli far-right teams have continued provocations on the compound, pushing for elevated Jewish entry beneath police safety.
Such incursions have escalated tensions and deepened Palestinian fears that the established order is being eroded.
Source: www.dailysabah.com