250,000 Muslims mark Laylat Al-Qadr at Al-Aqsa

Some 250,000 Muslim worshippers prayed at Al-Aqsa Mosque last night to mark the 27th evening of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Department of Islamic Endowments in occupied East Jerusalem said 250,000 Palestinian worshippers from the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and from Israel, flocked to Al-Aqsa Mosque to commemorate Laylat Al-Qadr – the Night of Power, when Muslims believe the Qur’an was first revealed – amid strict measures by the Israeli occupation authorities.

Palestinians from the occupied West Bank set off early to travel through the occupation’s illegal checkpoints to access the holy site. While some 10,000 travelled to Islam’s third holiest site from within Israel. Buses had been organised to shuttle people to the site from a number of Arab cities across Israel.

Water was also distributed to worshippers near the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque after the occupation prevented it from entering the courtyards.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Jerusalem stated that “its crews dealt with 130 cases of illness in Al-Aqsa Mosque; 13 of whom were transferred to hospital for treatment.”

READ: Israel fears Al-Aqsa events will affect normalisation deals