Palestinians head to Al Aqsa for prayers of third Friday of Ramadan

(28 Sep 2007) SHOTLIST Jerusalem 1. Wide of people arriving for prayers at Al Aqsa compound, Dome of the Rock in background 2. Mid of Palestinian women praying in front of Dome of the Rock 3. Pan right of people at compound 4. Various of prayers 5. Close-up an old man praying 6. Wide of women praying 7. Wide of people kneeling during prayers 8. Pan of people kneeling Palestinian side of Qalandiya crossing, between Jerusalem and Ramallah, West Bank 9. Mid of soldiers pushing back Palestinians 10. More of pushing 11. Mid through barbed wire of Palestinians showing documents to soldiers 12. Mid of soldier arguing with Palestinians wishing to enter Jerusalem 13. Mid of old man passing with soldier 14. Imam addressing crowd 15. Mid of soldiers watching prayers Gaza City, Gaza Strip 16. Exterior of mosque 17. Mid of people praying in mosque 18. Imam addressing people 19. Various of people praying in street Beit Hanoun, northern West Bank 20. Various of people praying under shed STORYLINE Thousands of Palestinians said prayers at the Al Aqsa compound in the old city of Jerusalem on the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Prayers were said amid heavy Israeli security and tight restrictions on who could attend. Even so, Jerusalem police said around 75-thousand Muslims participated in the prayers. Police allowed entry to the compound only to Palestinian men 45 years of age and older and Palestinian women over the age of 30, as long as they carried the proper permits. Israeli-Arabs and Palestinians from east Jerusalem that are Israeli ID holders faced no restrictions in accessing the mosque, the third holiest shrine of Islam. Hundreds of Palestinians trying to make their way to Jerusalem from the Palestinian territories faced tight Israeli security at checkpoints. At the southern checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, Palestinians, many of them elderly, pushed up against police lines set up near concrete separation barrier. Israeli troops shouted at people to move back. Palestinian worshippers who were unable to cross checkpoints were forced to say their prayers wherever possible. The Israeli military enforced a closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the week-long Jewish holiday of Succot, or Feast of Tabernacles, which began at sunset on Wednesday. Blanket closures, including travel bans within the Palestinian areas, are imposed during Jewish holidays and restrictions are eased, though not lifted, once the holidays are over. Palestinians have long complained that Israel is violating their right to freedom of worship by restricting access to the shrine. Israel says it imposes the restrictions to prevent possible attacks by Palestinian militants. Ramadan is a time of heightened religious fervour which security officials claim could increase the motivation for carrying out attacks. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...