Tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan 2026 under heavy Israeli security restrictions. Israel limited entry to 10,000 Palestinians, primarily men over 55, women over 50, and children under 12, citing security concerns.

This marked the first opportunity for many West Bank residents to pray at the site since Ramadan last year, following a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The event underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding Jerusalem's holiest Islamic site, which Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims revere as the Noble Sanctuary.