Anger in Iraq after “two scandals”

The second Friday prayer of Ramadan ended at Al-Aqsa Mosque without any signs of violence, while the Israeli police continued to reinforce their presence in the Old City of Jerusalem as the war in Gaza continued and confrontations escalated in the occupied West Bank.

Sheikh Azzam Al-Khatib, Director of the Islamic Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, told Agence France-Presse, “Today, about 180,000 worshipers prayed at Al-Aqsa, and the prayer took place in peace and calm.”

The Israeli police said, in a statement, that “thousands of its members were deployed throughout Jerusalem and its environs, while tens of thousands of worshipers arrived at Al-Aqsa Mosque freely and safely, in addition to maintaining the required security and safety aspects.”

In the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, regime groups affiliated with the Islamic Endowments spread out with their blue jackets. About one hundred and fifty members of the Jerusalem Boy Scouts, who wore purple jackets, also participated.

Muhammad al-Khatib (49 years old), from the town of Hizma in the vicinity of Jerusalem, which Israel considers to be part of the West Bank, said: “We, the scouts of the Jerusalem Commission, arrived in coordination with the Israelis to Jerusalem to maintain order, and we were subjected to a thorough inspection at the checkpoints.”

Mazouza Shaker Muhammad Faraj (64 years old), who arrived from Tulkarm camp, said that she left at six-thirty in the morning and arrived at nine-thirty, noting that she had an Israeli permit and a magnetic ID to enter.

Mazouzah was working in Israel picking vegetables and fruits before the war, as she was a widow and supported her children. She added, “We were happy when we reached Al-Aqsa and we prayed.”

Pictures may not be repeated

As for Zainab Ramadan Freij (70 years old), who has wrinkles on her face, she is also from Tulkarm camp and worked in agriculture before the war. She confirmed that the situation in Tulkarm “is not good due to the raids on Nour Shams camp,” noting that the city of Jerusalem “is sad and the crossings are almost empty.” Be empty of people.

The Palestinians who came to pray at Al-Aqsa were active in taking souvenir photos with their families on the steps of the towering rock. Mustafa Al-Sheikh (62 years old), who arrived from the town of Anata with his wife, said, “We feel elated to have reached Al-Aqsa, as hundreds of thousands are deprived of access to it.”

He added, “I wanted to take pictures today because I don’t know if we will be able to arrive in the coming weeks. Israelis’ actions cannot be predicted.”

For her part, teacher Rabab Hadiya (49 years old) from the city of Jerusalem carried a large piece of paper on which she wrote in Arabic: “The second Friday of Ramadan… Al-Aqsa misses us in the year 1445 AH.”

Rabab said, “My friend Lina has lived in America for twenty years. I took some pictures and will send them to her because she loves Al-Aqsa and misses it.”

“very sensitive”

Weeks before the month of Ramadan, every prayer at Al-Aqsa ended in confrontations, and the Israeli police used violence even against journalists, which increased fears that the heated scene would continue during the month of fasting.

Israeli analyst Kobi Michael from the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv told Agence France-Presse, “The prevailing calm until today is due to the police deploying large numbers of its members with the presence of senior officers in the city, because the issue of Al-Aqsa is very sensitive.”

He added, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself intervened in the issue of Palestinians entering Al-Aqsa during Ramadan,” pointing out that “Palestinian worshipers are concerned with performing prayers quietly without obeying Hamas’ instructions, and the police are pursuing instigators on social media.”

In his sermon, Al-Aqsa’s preacher spoke about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, and he said, addressing the worshipers, “Do not forget your brothers in Gaza who sleep in the open without food and without a roof to shelter them.” The war broke out on October 7, following an attack launched by Hamas on southern Israel. It resulted in the deaths of at least 1,160 people, according to a tally prepared by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli figures.

Israel estimates that about 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza, including 33 who are believed to have died, out of about 250 people kidnapped in the Hamas attack.

It vowed to eliminate Hamas and carried out a concentrated bombing campaign followed by a massive ground attack, killing about 32,000 people and leaving 74,188 wounded, the majority of whom were women and children, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

From Arara in the Negev, Muhammad Abu Arar (69 years old) arrived, leaning on his cane, with his 10-year-old son Rami. He said, “Entering Al-Aqsa brings peace of mind to the soul, as it is the holiest place after Mecca.”