300 Gazans pray at Al-Aqsa amid continued restrictions on Palestinians
entering Jerusalem
June 24, 2016 10:51 A.M. (Updated: June 24, 2016 2:34 P.M.)
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=771985

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Hundreds of Palestinians from the besieged Gaza Strip
traveled to occupied East Jerusalem on Friday to attend prayers at the
Al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian officials told Ma’an.

The 300 worshipers, all above the age of 50, headed to Al-Aqsa via the Erez
crossing to attend prayers for the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan, according to Palestinian liaison officials.

Thousands of Israeli police officers and border guards were reportedly
deployed throughout the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City and surrounding
neighborhoods.


Visitations by elderly Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Al-Aqsa were
implemented as part of a ceasefire agreement that ended Israel’s 2014
offensive on the besieged enclave.

However, due to Israeli security concerns and Jewish holidays, visitations
have been frequently interrupted since their introduction.

Israeli police announced Thursday that men from the occupied West Bank above
the age of 45, children under 12, and women of all ages would be permitted
to enter the Al-Aqsa compound for prayers.

More than 96,000 Palestinians from the West Bank traveled to East Jerusalem
for prayers on Friday, according to a statement released by the Coordination
of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

Following an attack in Tel Aviv earlier in the month, Israeli authorities
froze the permits of 83,000 Palestinians to enter Israel, while banning
visitations of elderly Gazans to the Al-Aqsa Mosque for a week after
cancelling all coordination with the besieged Gaza Strip during the month of
Ramadan.

A COGAT spokesperson confirmed to Ma’an that the tens of thousands of
permits allowing Palestinians to pass into Israel are still frozen and
Palestinians are only being permitted to enter Jerusalem for prayers if they
fit the age criteria set by Israeli authorities.