Palestinian worshippers from the occupied West Bank have been prevented by Israeli occupation authorities from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan yesterday.

The Middle East Monitor reports that authorities in the rogue state had set a condition for the worshippers from the occupied territories to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to be able to access the holy site. Thousands of Palestinians could not enter as the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip have only a very sparse supply of the vaccine against thecoronavirus . According to the Palestinian Health Ministry there is an insufficient quantity of vaccines available in the West Bank as vaccination is limited to those suffering from chronic disease and those above 60 years of age

One Palestinian, Samia Abdul-Aziz said, “We were prevented from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque under the pretext of not being vaccinated.” She added, “However, they aim to reduce the number of Muslim worshippers inside thesanctity yards.” She said, “We were blocked from entering Jerusalem and praying at Al-Aqsa. Israel invokes the coronavirus vaccine to limit worshipers from entering Al-Aqsa and emptying it in a step to control it.”

MEMO reports that there was severe congestion at Israeli military checkpoints between the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, resulting in rows occurring between Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces at Qalandia Checkpoint. Residents of the Gaza Strip had not been allowed to head to the Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayer at all.

Umm Muhammed Umar