DaysofPal- On a morning that was expected to be filled with joy and the sound of takbir, Palestinians awoke instead to a heavy scene where grief mixed with anger.
This year’s Eid al-Fitr was unlike any before it. Large crowds were absent from the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while attendance at the Ibrahimi Mosque was limited to only a few dozen worshippers, an unprecedented situation that has revived long-standing questions about religious freedom under occupation.
In Jerusalem, the scene appeared unfamiliar even to residents accustomed to restrictions. For the first time since 1967, Eid prayers were completely banned in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, with entry permitted only to a limited number of guards and religious endowment staff.
The alleys of the Old City were filled with checkpoints, and Israeli forces were heavily deployed, preventing thousands of worshippers from reaching the mosque, which represents the heart of religious life in the city.
Despite this, the sound of Eid did not disappear entirely. Faint takbir calls echoed from minarets and were repeated by worshippers attempting to pray in nearby streets, at gates such as Bab al-Asbat and Damascus Gate, before they were dispersed by force.
One young man said, “We were searching for a moment of Eid, even if it was on the sidewalk,” capturing the feelings of many who were denied entry.
The Israeli restrictions were described as not only sudden but among the harshest in years, especially following the closure of Al-Aqsa throughout the month of Ramadan under security justifications tied to regional developments.
On the ground, however, the situation resembled a near-total shutdown of religious life at one of Islam’s holiest sites.
In Hebron, the situation was not much better, where at the Ibrahimi Mosque, Eid prayers were held with only around 80 worshippers in attendance, following strict measures that included closing most entrances and limiting access to a single checkpoint with thorough inspections.
The mosque’s director, Moataz Abu Sneineh, described what happened as “unprecedented restrictions,” noting that large numbers of worshippers were prevented from entering.
He added in a press statement that holding the prayer with such limited attendance was done to preserve the ritual, even at its most minimal level.
The Ibrahimi Mosque, long subject to a complex situation since its division following the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, appeared more isolated than ever this Eid.
Courtyards that would normally be filled with worshippers stood nearly empty, reflecting the scale of the restrictions imposed.
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