JERUSALEM - MARCH 28, 2025: Palestinians in Jerusalem flocked to al-Aqsa Mosque through the Old City for the last Friday prayer of Ramadan on March 28, as strict security measures continue. On March 6, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved stricter restrictions on Palestinian worshippers’ access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Fridays during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Under the new restrictions, only men over the age of 55, women over 50, and children under 12 will be permitted to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, access will be contingent upon obtaining a prior security clearance and undergoing thorough security checks at designated checkpoints. The decision coincides with ongoing daily incursions by hundreds of illegal Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month alongside increasing restrictions on Palestinians traveling from the West Bank. Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have imposed strict measures limiting Palestinians’ access from the West Bank to East Jerusalem. Palestinians consider these restrictions as part of Israel’s broader efforts to Judaize East Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity.