JERUSALEM (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2021) Around 100,000 Muslim Palestinians on Thursday headed to Al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem for prayer on Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The worshipers thus ignored Israeli security forces' attempts to limit access to the mosque in view of clashes in the city and violence between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Palestinians from Gaza could not join the prayer, as Israel has closed all checkpoints.
According to the correspondent, Israel's authorities dispatched extra security units to Jerusalem, having announced full mobilization in case of riots and mob violence.
Eid al-Fitr is one of the main Muslim holidays. Every year thousands of Muslims go to Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in islam, for holiday prayer, which usually leads to confrontation with Israeli forces.
The clashes in East Jerusalem, which have been going on for several days, led to the sharpest escalation between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in recent years. Palestinian militants have launched over 1,600 rockets toward Israel. In response, Israel has fired retaliatory strikes against Gaza. The violence has claimed the lives of 83 people in Gaza and seven in Israel.
