Israel police prevent West Bank Palestinians from entering Jerusalem

Israeli occupation police on Friday prevented hundreds of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank from entering occupied Jerusalem to pray during the second Friday prayer of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Anadolu Agency reported.

Israeli police set up many military checkpoints on the streets leading to the holy city and claimed that it is allowing only Palestinians vaccinated against COVID-19 to pass.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that it did not receive enough vaccine doses to even vaccinate a quarter of the Palestinians in West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Since the early hours of Friday, Palestinians rushed to Qalandia Checkpoint, the main terminal point between the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem. Israeli authorities allowed very few Palestinians through.

Israel allows only Palestinians from East Jerusalem and Palestinians in Israel to perform prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to a limited number of Palestinians from the West Bank and very few Palestinians from Gaza, who require special entry permits.

READ: 100s Jerusalemites injured as ultra-right wing Israelis march, chant ‘death to Arabs’