Israel prevents hundreds of worshippers from entering Al-Aqsa on first night of Ramadan

Israeli occupation forces prevented hundreds of Palestinian worshippers from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and beat a number of them as they tried to reach the muslim holy site on the first night of Ramadan, eyewitnesses reported.

Only Palestinians aged over 40 were allowed into Al-Aqsa yesterday to perform Taraweeh prayers.

The eyewitnesses reported that Israeli occupation forces attacked worshippers and prevented them from entering through Bab Al-Majlis, one of the gates of Al-Aqsa, last night.

Earlier yesterday, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tasked himself with making the decision on whether or not occupation forces would storm Al-Aqsa during the month of Ramadan.

Over the past few weeks, Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, and the army called on Netanyahu to make the decision himself because of the possible consequences of such a move, according to the authority.

It believed that this is a result of their lack of confidence in National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

A few days ago, Netanyahu rejected a recommendation by Ben-Gvir not to allow residents of the occupied West Bank to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, and to restrict access to the mosque only to Muslims aged over 70 who are Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Palestinians believe access restrictions are part of the occupation state’s efforts to Judaise the area.

Read: Israel deploys additional police forces around Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa ahead of Ramadan