Over 100,000 Worshippers Attend Friday Prayers at Al-Aqsa After Reopening

More than 100,000 worshippers gathered for Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, just a day after it was reopened following a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Citing Islamic authorities, Agence France-Presse reported from Jerusalem that the turnout exceeded 100,000 worshippers.

Jerusalem’s Old City, which houses key holy sites of the three Abrahamic religions, had been closed since the outbreak of war triggered by US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28.

Within the Old City are Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, the Western Wall for Jews, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians—all located in East Jerusalem, which Israel has occupied and annexed.

The sites were reopened on Thursday, a day after a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East conflict was announced.

Worshippers had also been unable to access Al-Aqsa during the holy month of Ramadan this year.

The Islamic Waqf, administered under Jordan oversight, confirmed the large turnout at Friday prayers. Live broadcasts showed the entire compound filled with worshippers.

Mohammad Saideh, 30, expressed hope that the mosque would not be closed again and that people from Jerusalem and the West Bank would be able to access the holy site freely.

However, Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank continue to face strict restrictions based on age and permit quotas.

Sharif Mohammad, 39, said Friday prayers are obligatory, but performing them at Al-Aqsa carries a unique spiritual significance, describing it as Islam’s third holiest site.

Ahmad Ammar, 55, said the experience was beyond words.

Alongside reopening religious sites in Jerusalem, Israeli authorities have lifted most emergency restrictions imposed during the war with Iran. However, such measures remain in place in northern areas near the Lebanon border, where clashes with the Iran-backed Hezbollah continue.