Police spokeswoman Mirit Ben Mayor said during a press conference, “We are ready for Friday prayers. Thousands of police will be deployed in the Temple Mount area,” which is the name given by Jews to the Temple Mount.
She added that “hundreds of police officers” have been deployed in the Old City since the beginning of Ramadan on Monday, in a very tense context in light of the war in the Gaza Strip.
Mayor confirmed that since the beginning of the month of Ramadan, tens of thousands have prayed in the courtyard of the Holy Mosque without any significant incident being recorded.
In response to a question about the tension witnessed on Sunday when police dispersed the crowd with batons, she described the matter as an “isolated incident.”
For her part, Tal Heinrich, spokeswoman for the Prime Minister's Office, said, “We are on high alert.”
She explained that “the vast majority come to pray,” and accused organizations “such as Hamas and Jihad of trying to ignite the region,” and urged Muslims “not to be deceived by terrorists.”
The two officials stressed again that access to Al-Aqsa Mosque will be allowed “for the same number as in previous years.”
However, restrictions are imposed on West Bank Palestinians as tensions reach their highest levels since the start of the war in Gaza due to the unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on October 7.
Only men over the age of 55 and women over the age of 50 coming from the West Bank will be allowed to reach Jerusalem “for security reasons,” according to the authorities.
In recent years, the Holy Mosque has witnessed violent confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli security forces during the month of Ramadan.
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