100,000 pray at Al-Aqsa amid Israeli restrictions on 2nd Friday of Ramadan

Thousands of worshippers attend prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, with others turned away despite carrying required permits.Published On 27 Feb 2026About 100,000 Palestinian worshippers have prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem for the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, despite Israel imposing severe restrictions on access to the holy site.Worshippers were subjected to thorough security screening on Friday as they made their way through the Qalandiya checkpoint in the occupied West Bank north of Jerusalem to pray, an Al Jazeera team reported, amid a heavy deployment of Israeli forces around the city.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4In the occupied West Bank, the war continueslist 2 of 4Israel to restart land registration in West Bank. What that meanslist 3 of 4UN says Israel is stoking ‘ethnic cleansing’ fears in Gaza, West Banklist 4 of 4Israel blocks Palestinians from attending Ramadan Friday prayers at Al-Aqsaend of listIsraeli authorities imposed rules at the start of Ramadan to limit entry for Friday prayers to just 10,000 Palestinian worshippers with daily permits – a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands who would attend in normal years.Under the Israeli rules, only men over 55, women 50 years or older, and children under 12, accompanied by a relative, are permitted to enter.Visitors are also required to complete digital verification procedures at crossings when returning to the West Bank.Muslim worshippers make their way to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to attend the second Friday noon prayers of the holy month of Ramadan [Hazem Bader/AFP]Bans on individualsAs well as the restrictions, Israeli authorities recently announced bans on 280 Jerusalem residents, including religious figures, journalists, and released prisoners, from attending prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.The push to limit Palestinians’ access to the holy site during Ramadan is widely seen as part of an effort to pressure Palestinian communities and erase the Palestinian cultural identity of occupied East Jerusalem, which Palestinians view as the capital of their future state.