Israel to allow 10,000 Palestinian worshippers to enter Al-Aqsa for Friday prayers during Ramadan

Israel has announced that 10,000 Palestinian worshippers will be allowed to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem for the weekly Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Israel made the announcement after Ramadan began on Wednesday (February 18), Arab News reported.
However, some restrictions have been imposed on entry to the mosque compound. Only men aged 55 and over, women aged 50 and over, and children aged 12 and over (including first-degree relatives) will be allowed to enter. The Civil Affairs Agency for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, COGAT, under the Israeli Defense Ministry, said in a statement that 10,000 Palestinian worshippers will be allowed to enter the Temple Mount for Friday prayers each day during the holy month of Ramadan, provided that they obtain separate permits.
The statement also said that men aged 55 and over, women aged 50 and over, and children up to 12 years old, including first-degree relatives, will be allowed to enter. During Ramadan, millions of Palestinian worshippers usually pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is Islam’s third holiest site and is located in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed – a move not recognized internationally.