Rabat – As celebrations for Eid Al-Adha begin throughout the Arab World, Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem hosted more than 150,000 Muslims who performed the Eid prayers there.
Although Israeli police set up roadblocks and conducted extensive searches on Palestinians, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA, worshippers arrived in large numbers at the mosque, reciting religious phrases and chants.
Israeli authorities still barred many from entering, citing strict body and ID searches, noted WAFA’s report.
Eid Al-Adha is one of the holiest and most celebrated days for Muslims in the year.
Every year, Muslims gather for prayers and a sermon in the morning of Eid Al-Adha, before celebrating by slaughtering an animal as sacrifice and consuming its meat.
Al-Aqsa mosque is considered one of the three holy sites in Islam, following only Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and Medina.
Earlier this year, the mosque and occupied Palestinian territories in general saw rising tensions as Israeli forces raided the holy site for several days in a row, injuring hundreds and arresting hundreds more.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians tend to flare up during religious occasions such as Ramadan or the Eids, when Palestinian Musllims often want to celebrate and pray at the mosque.
