jordan pulse -

Israeli forces imposed strict restrictions on Palestinian worshippers from the West Bank seeking to enter Jerusalem on Friday to perform prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
Despite heightened military measures, thousands of Palestinians gathered منذ early morning at the Qalandia Checkpoint. Israeli forces reinforced their presence at the checkpoint, checked IDs, and barred entry to men under 55 and women under 50 unless they had obtained special permits.
According to the WAFA News Agency, Israeli forces turned back dozens of elderly individuals at the Qalandia and Bethlehem checkpoints on the grounds that they lacked the required permits. The agency also reported that four paramedics were detained and that journalistic and medical teams faced obstruction at Qalandia.
Additional restrictions were imposed at the entrances to Jerusalem’s Old City and the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, where young men’s IDs were checked and several were denied entry.
The Jerusalem Governorate stated that Israeli authorities prevented Palestinian worshippers from passing through Qalandia, citing that the permitted quota had been reached. Thousands were reportedly stranded at the checkpoint, with Israeli forces refusing them entry into Jerusalem.
The governorate added that Israeli authorities intensified measures around Jerusalem by erecting barriers and restricting access in an effort to limit the number of worshippers. It further said these steps also undermine the work of Islamic endowments in Jerusalem and directly target the role and authority of the Waqf Department in managing the mosque’s affairs, as part of attempts to impose changes affecting the longstanding status quo.