70,000 worshipers perform Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa

Al-Quds sources reported that more than 70,000 worshipers performed the Friday prayer in the holy site despite the Israeli restrictions imposed at the gates and entrances of the Old City.

The 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.

During the Friday sermon, the preacher Sheikh Muhammad Hussein hailed the Palestinian worshipers' strong determination, calling for intensifying Palestinian presence at the holy site.

"We categorically reject any Israeli violation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its sanctity," he said.

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.

Similar gatherings were also reported in several West Bank towns, amid the participation of families of Palestinian martyrs and captives.