300 Gazans pray in Aqsa mosque
June 12, 2015 11:32 P.M. (Updated: June 12, 2015 11:32 P.M.)
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=765920


GAZA CITY (Ma'an - Palestinian news agency) -- Hundreds of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip headed to
Jerusalem via the Erez crossing to pray in the Al-Aqsa mosque Friday.

An official at the Palestinian liaison office told Ma'an that 300 Gazan
residents over the age of 50 made the trip, pointing out that the Ministry
of Civil Affairs arranged coordination for 200, while the UN Relief and
Works Agency for Palestinian refugees coordinated for 100 of its employees
to travel to the Al-Aqsa compound.

The official added that this is the third time that UNRWA has arranged such
coordination for its employees.

Weekly access to the Al-Aqsa mosque by elderly Gazans has become routine
since October 2014 when some 500 Palestinians in Gaza prayed at the mosque
for the first time since 2007, having been prevented by Israel from
traveling to Jerusalem since that time.


The decision to allow elderly Gazans to travel to the mosque was reached as
part of the ceasefire deal between Palestinian militant groups and Israel
that ended the more than 50-day war last summer.

As Ramadan approaches, the Palestinian Authority announced a plan last week
to facilitate movement to the holy site for Palestinians living in the
occupied West Bank who also face restrictions in accessing Jerusalem.

Israel reportedly agreed to allow Palestinians between 35 and 40 to receive
permits to pray in Al-Aqsa for the first week of Ramadan, excluding Friday
and Saturday, while men above 40 will only be allowed on Fridays without
permits.


Women of all ages will be allowed into the mosque without permits on
Fridays.

While Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are subject to strict
limitations on movement into East Jerusalem, part of the occupied
Palestinian territories, Israel traditionally eases these restrictions
during Ramadan, allowing West Bank residents to enter the city in order to
pray as well as to mark festivities at the month's conclusion.