Worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound take part in the first Friday Prayers of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Old City of Jerusalem, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers flock to Al-Aqsa Mosque atop the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan.
The Jordanian Waqf, which manages the site, says some 90,000 people were in attendance during midday prayers.
The prayers took place amid heavy police presence across the Old City, and with limited attendance from West Bank Palestinians due to Israeli authorities restricting their access to the site.
As was the case last Ramadan, Palestinian males aged 55 and older, women who are at least 50 years old, and children aged 12 and below can enter Jerusalem to attend the prayers after receiving a permit from Israeli authorities.
Just outside the Temple Mount compound, near Lion’s Gate, some 100 others perform the prayer under heavy police presence.
Cops and border guards are seen manning temporary checkpoints throughout the Old City. Law enforcement said yesterday that some 3,000 officers would be deployed throughout Jerusalem.
Muslim worshippers pray outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the first full Friday of Ramadan on March 7, 2025. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)
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