Tens of thousands of Palestinian worshipers attended communal Friday prayer in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, amid tight Israeli restrictions.

Israeli police forces were deployed in large numbers throughout the occupied city and near Al-Aqsa’s gates since the early morning hours on Friday.
 
Israeli police forces set up dozens of roadblocks, conducted extensive searches and checks on Palestinians and their ID cards, and prevented many of them from reaching the holy Islamic site, local news sources said.
 
Sheikh Ismail Nawahda, Al-Aqsa preacher, during the Friday sermon, stressed that Jerusalem will remain the key factor to war and peace.
 
He also called for supporting the people of Jerusalem who chose to remain steadfast in the occupied city despite all Israeli systematic assaults.
 
Earlier in the morning, thousands performed dawn prayer at the holy site despite Israeli restrictions.
 
Since the early hours of dawn, thousands of Palestinians gathered at the gates of the al-Aqsa Mosque on their way to attend the dawn prayer, confirming the Palestinians’ spiritual links to the holy site.