Israeli forces obstruct Journalists at Qalandiya checkpoint during Ramadan prayers

WEB DESK: Israeli forces on Friday blocked and interrupted media crews, including a team from Al Jazeera, as they reported on Palestinian worshippers attempting to reach the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan.

According to Al Jazeera, the incident unfolded at the Qalandiya checkpoint, the main crossing between Ramallah and occupied East Jerusalem, where thousands had gathered in hopes of entering the city. Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh was delivering a live broadcast describing severe congestion and long waiting times when Israeli security personnel moved in and forcibly halted the coverage.

The disruption came amid what Israeli authorities described as heightened security measures for Ramadan 2026. This year, officials imposed a strict quota allowing only 10,000 West Bank residents to access Jerusalem for prayers a sharp reduction compared with previous years, when the Al-Aqsa compound has accommodated crowds of up to 250,000 worshippers on Ramadan Fridays. Before her transmission was cut, Odeh noted that with a population of approximately 3.3 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the permit allocation represented only a fraction of those seeking to attend prayers.

Access restrictions have been further limited by eligibility rules permitting only men over 55, women over 50 and children under 12 to apply for entry. Thousands of additional police officers and border guards were deployed across Jerusalem’s Old City and at major checkpoints. By midday, reports indicated that only around 2,000 people had successfully crossed Qalandiya, leaving many stranded and unable to reach the mosque.

The interruption of live reporting at such a sensitive flashpoint has prompted criticism from press freedom advocates, who argue that restricting journalists hampers international scrutiny of the movement limitations imposed on Palestinians during one of the holiest periods in the Islamic calendar.