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

Despite Israeli restrictions, approximately 100,000 Palestinian worshippers attended the second Friday prayers of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli authorities imposed limitations on entry, allowing only 10,000 permit holders, men over 55, women over 50, and children under 12. Worshippers faced security screenings at checkpoints, and many were turned away. Additionally, Israel banned 280 Jerusalem residents, including religious figures and journalists, from accessing the mosque. These restrictions are viewed by some as an attempt to pressure Palestinian communities and diminish their cultural identity in East Jerusalem.

On February 20, 2026, the first Friday prayers of Ramadan were held at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque. Despite a fragile ceasefire, Ramadan in Gaza is starkly different from previous years, with some Palestinians holding prayers in a school-turned-shelter. Israeli soldiers were present at the Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem, as Palestinian worshippers passed through on their way to Al-Aqsa Mosque. The images show worshippers praying both inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and outside in Jerusalem's Old City. The event highlights the ongoing tensions and altered circumstances surrounding Ramadan observances in the region.