Israeli forces restrict al-Aqsa Mosque access, as Muslims seek out Ramadan's Laylat al-Qadr

Israeli forces prevented worshippers from observing Laylat al-Qadr - the 'night of destiny ' - at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday, marking the 16th consecutive day that the Muslim holy site has been closed off since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran. 

The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said the Old City has been turned into a military zone, with hundreds of soldiers and police deployed to the area.

Israeli troops also erected checkpoints at the entrances to the town of Al-Issawiya and surrounded worshippers at the Damascus Gate, threatening them with repercussions if they remained there.

The new restrictions have forced many to perform their daily and Ramadan prayers in the streets of the Old City, at a time when Al-Aqsa would usually host tens to hundreds of thousands of worshippers.

The last ten nights of Ramadan are of extra significance for Muslims, with many seeking to increase their worship during this period to coincide with the night of Laylat al-Qadr - a night in which deeds and prayers are multiplied thousands of times over, according to a passage in the Quran.

According to some traditions, the night falls on the 27th night of Ramadan, which for those in occupied Palestine was on Sunday evening.

In an unusual scene, the prayer halls of Al-Aqsa Mosque were empty, with prayers inside the building limited to employees of the Islamic Waqf Department and mosque guards.

At the same time, Jewish settlers stormed the Jaffa Gate on Sunday evening, further preventing Muslim worshippers from entering the mosque's compound.

Similar restrictions have been imposed at Hebron's Ibrahimi Mosque - a site also under threat from Israeli encroachment and extremist Jewish groups attempting to claim the site.

The closure of al-Aqsa during Ramadan has stirred outrage in the Muslim world, with the Arab League slamming it as a "flagrant violation of international law".

"Israel has no right to take any measures preventing Muslims from performing their religious duties at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has serious repercussions for regional and international peace and security," the 22-member bloc said in a statement.

It urged the international community to intervene to ensure that Israel, as the occupying power, allows freedom of worship at Jerusalem's holy sites.

Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces and settlers have continued attacks on Palestinian villages throughout the month of Ramadan.