JERUSALEM 

Ninety thousand Palestinian worshippers performed Tarawih prayers Friday at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, despite Israeli restrictions. 

The prayers are special night prayers that are performed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said the worshippers attended the prayers on the sixth night of Ramadan.

The official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, said it was the largest of worshippers attending prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque in months.

Witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli forces were deployed at the gates leading to the mosque and prevented scores of youths from entering. But an exact number was not provided for those denied access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israel has restricted Palestinian worshippers’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque amid growing tensions across the occupied West Bank due to the Israeli army’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, that has left more than 31,400 people dead.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar