"Israel is severely restricting Palestinians' access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan, with many hundreds queueing at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah, hoping and waiting to get in. But Israeli authorities say they will allow no more than 10,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank into one of Islam's holiest sites for the day, and only with permits"
"Only children under the age of 12, men over 55, and women 50 years or older are eligible. Israel's Channel 12 reported that only about 2,000 Palestinians were able to cross through the Qalandiya checkpoint towards Jerusalem by the morning, amid a state of Israeli military high alert at checkpoints separating the West Bank and East Jerusalem. There are 3.3 million people in the occupied West Bank so allowing only 10,000 to pray on this first Friday or Ramadan is a drop in the ocean"
Israel will allow only 10,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the first Friday prayers of Ramadan, and entry will require permits. Eligibility is limited to children under 12, men over 55, and women 50 years or older. Many hundreds of worshippers queued at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah, but only about 2,000 had crossed by morning amid a high state of Israeli military alert at checkpoints. The occupied West Bank has 3.3 million people, and past years saw up to 250,000 worshippers at the site, making the permitted number a small fraction.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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