Tens of thousands of worshippers performed Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque despite tightened measures imposed by Zionist enemy forces around the mosque compound and inside the Old City of al-Quds.

Zionist enemy forces were deployed throughout the city’s streets and set up checkpoints and iron barriers at the gates of the Old City and the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Young men were stopped, their identification cards were checked, and a number of them were detained.

On Al-Wad Street inside the Old City, forces reportedly stopped several young men, forced them to leave the area, and prevented them from reaching al-Aqsa Mosque to perform prayers.

The developments followed calls issued on Thursday by al-Quds-based activists and Palestinian groups urging residents of al-Quds and Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian interior to travel to al-Aqsa Mosque and maintain a presence there on Friday, in affirmation of its Islamic identity and in opposition to Judaization plans.

These events come amid escalating Zionist violations against al-Aqsa Mosque, including repeated settler incursions and restrictions on worshippers’ access, in efforts to impose a new reality inside the holy sanctuary.