Despite intensified Israeli restrictions, around 80,000 Palestinian worshippers gathered at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday morning to perform Eid al-Adha prayers.
Worshippers traveled from across the occupied Palestine territories to the mosque compound in east Jerusalem, facing a heavy Israeli security presence at the entrances to the Old City, Al Mayadeen reported.
Eid Al Adha prayers and celebrations in Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied Palestine. pic.twitter.com/ztmZx9M5F0
— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) June 6, 2025
The report said Israeli occupation forces set up checkpoints, inspected IDs and blocked access for many attempting to reach the mosque. Still, the massive turnout underscored the religious and national significance of Eid al-Adha at Al-Aqsa.
Witnesses reported that Israeli forces stationed at multiple Old City gates created bottlenecks and denied entry to scores of Palestinian worshipers, including women and the elderly.
Provocation from Settlers
Following the conclusion of prayers, a group of illegal Israeli Jewish settlers entered through Bab al-Asbat, chanting provocative slogans, an act viewed by Palestinians as deliberate provocation on a sacred day, the report said.
🔴 Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem marked the Eid al-Adha amid continuing Israeli bombardment, military raids, and heavy restrictions https://t.co/A79ZFSRTjo pic.twitter.com/i3p39JLhAt
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) June 6, 2025
Ibrahimi Mosque Restrictions
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli occupation forces barred Muslim worshipers from accessing the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil on the first day of Eid al-Adha, Al Mayadeen reported.
The closure extended to the mosque’s courtyards, gates, and surrounding facilities, further fueling tensions.
Israeli occupation forces prevented the call to prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque 57 times during May.#Israel pic.twitter.com/No6z6s0AXz
— Al-Jarmaq News (@Aljarmaqnetnews) June 5, 2025
Al Mayadeen reported that Munjid al-Jabari, Acting Director General of al-Khalil Endowments, told the official Palestinian news agency WAFA that Israeli forces also blocked access to the mosque’s eastern gate, the report added.
Al-Jabari said this marked the seventh time this year that access had been denied at the Ibrahimi Mosque, particularly on Fridays, at Laylat al-Qadr, and both Eid holidays.
Partial Handover Refused
Al-Jabari emphasized that the Islamic Waqf refused to accept a partial handover of the mosque.
“We have a firm position against accepting an incomplete handover,” he said, stressing that the decision sends “a clear message that any infringement on Muslim rights in their holy sites will never be accepted.”
‘Green Light to Judaize’: How Israel Tightens Its Grip on Jerusalem
He urged Palestinians to increase their presence at the mosque during religious occasions to defend its Islamic identity. Al-Jabari also reportedly called on the international community to intervene and pressure Israel to halt its aggressive measures aimed at turning the site into what he described as a “Talmudic synagogue.”
According to WAFA, Israeli authorities allow Palestinians access to all parts of the site only for 10 days a year, including Fridays in Ramadan.
Gazans mark the fourth consecutive Eid during the ongoing Israeli genocide, with each celebration shadowed by entire families wiped out and the growing absence of relatives and loved ones lost to relentless Israeli massacres. pic.twitter.com/amaPvNMGOk
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 6, 2025
This year’s sacred Hajj pilgrimage took place against the backdrop of escalations in the occupied territory, including Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza entering its 21st month.
Ongoing Genocide in Gaza
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On First day of Eid, little Palestinian girl stands next to her father’s dead body grieving his loss, barely able to catch her breath. The Israeli army continues to attack civilians safe at their tent or while fetching food from American designated food points. pic.twitter.com/ZH1Ja9WJiE
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 6, 2025
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 54,000, wounding more than 125,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
On Eid eve, thousands of Palestinians slept in the open near Al-Nabulsi roundabout in western Gaza—seeking food aid amid famine, under the constant threat of Israeli strikes. pic.twitter.com/HaVzJM8Nq6
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 6, 2025
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(Al-Mayadeen, PC)
I keep waiting for someone to finally prove that the majority of Israelis aren’t scumbags…the settlers, the ZioNazis, the savages in the IDF…all of them are the dregs of the Earth. It must be quite a challenge being a ” proud Jew ” these days. If it’s not a challenge, i guess that verifies my point.