Tens of thousands of Palestinian worshippers defied oppressive Israeli restrictions on Friday to perform the first Friday prayers of the holy month of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Al-Quds (Jerusalem).
Israeli occupation authorities had imposed tight controls on entry from the West Bank, requiring prior security approval and enforcing strict measures at checkpoints.
عشرات الآلاف من الفلسطينيين يتمكنون من الوصول إلى المسجد الأقصى وصلاة الجمعة رغم مئات الحواجز التي نصبها الاحتلال في محيطه تزامنا مع الجمعة الأولى من شهر رمضان المبارك. pic.twitter.com/tPFILbP8t0
— القسطل الإخباري (@AlQastalps) February 20, 2026
Hundreds of Palestinians were blocked at dawn at key access points, including Qalandiya, despite holding valid permits, while the Israeli army deployed large numbers of troops and senior officers amid heavy security.
“Thousands of West Bank residents are crowded at the Qalandiya checkpoint, while occupation authorities are refusing entry on the grounds that the Friday quota—set at 10,000 worshippers—has been reached,” said the Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate.
The Israeli army prevented tens of thousands of Palestinian worshippers from reaching Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque in the first Ramadan Friday. pic.twitter.com/9iyeRU2ThF
— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) February 20, 2026
Israeli occupation raised its security alert level in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, at the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
In recent weeks, occupation authorities have intensified arrests and issued expulsion orders in East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian rights groups.
Since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces have intensified operations as well as settler attacks are reported throughout the West Bank, including Jerusalem, involving killings, home demolitions, forced displacement, and continued settlement expansion.
Source: Palestinian media (edited and translated by Al-Manar)