Thousands of Palestinians pray at al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of Intl. Quds Day

Palestinians have turned out en masse for prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque as a portrayal of national solidarity against the occupying Israeli regime, as freedom seekers worldwide prepare to mark the International Quds Day.

At least 250,000 Palestinian worshipers congregated at the mosque in the Old City of occupied al-Quds to perform prayers on Wednesday night, defying Israeli threats against such gatherings, Palestinian sources reported.

The large turnout came ahead of International Quds Day, which falls on last Friday of holy month of Ramadan, whereby people rally across the world in support of the Palestinian cause of liberation from Israeli aggression and occupation. The occasion has been designated by Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic in Iran.

Following the great assembly, Twitter users widely shared videos and photos of the prayers on their accounts.

One of the users posted touching footage of the event, wishing to be among the crowd.

The user also shared the story of a group of young men who used to get arrested every year upon attempting to enter the mosque for 10 years, but eventually succeeded this year.

Another user also shared photos of worshipers offering taraweeh prayers inside al-Aqsa Mosque.

As in previous years, tensions between Palestinians and Israel have ramped up since the beginning of Ramadan, with Israeli forces stepping up raids of al-Aqsa Mosque, assaulting Muslim worshipers inside prayer halls, and providing protection to the Israeli settlers desecrating Islam’s third holiest site.

Last Friday, at least 150,000 Palestinians thronged al-Aqsa Mosque to attend prayers, despite restrictions imposed on the entry of worshipers to the holy site.

On the same day, Israeli forces raided the mosque after dawn prayers and fired rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at the Palestinian worshipers at the Dome of the Rock inside the compound.

Western countries scene of thousands-strong pro-Palestinian protests

Thousands rally throughout many Western countries in support of the Palestinian cause.

On Tuesday, during the multinational “Al-Quds Podium” event, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Gaza-based resistance movement of Hamas’ Political Bureau, among other resistance leaders, encouraged Palestinians in their brave resistance campaign against Israel.

The latest wave of Israeli crimes has sparked widespread condemnation from Muslims and other supporters of the Palestinian cause across the world. Large anti-Israeli rallies were held in many European cities and Canada on Tuesday.

The persisting violence has also fueled fears among Israelis of an outbreak of a new war with Gaza.

Jordan intensifying efforts to restore Aqsa status quo

In an effort to ease tensions in al-Aqsa Mosque, Jordan is reported to have stepped up efforts to push Israel to respect the historic status quo of Islam’s third holiest site.

According to a report by Reuters, citing Jordanian officials and Western diplomats, the country is ready to discuss the issue in a joint committee with Washington, which could convene after the holy month of Ramadan next week, in a bid to reach an agreement on how to end tensions and avoid violent incidents that could give rise to a wider conflict.

Jordan, which oversees the flashpoint site via its control of the Waqf Islamic religious endowment that manages the compound, accuses Israel of having gradually changed restrictions on worship at the mosque since 2000, undermining a centuries-old tradition under which non-Muslims do not worship in the mosque compound.

The committee aims to identify steps that Israel could take to return conditions at the mosque to those of 22 years ago.

The new diplomatic effort is “to address the roots of the tension and ensure that issues do not flare up again,” said a Jordanian official who requested anonymity, adding that Washington had recently been handed a document “clearly” stating the position of the kingdom.

Jordan’s proposal did not include convening a joint committee with Israel on Muslim and Christian shrines in al-Quds’ Old City.

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