140,000 Muslims pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque to mark 1st day of Eid al-Adha

Some 140,000 Muslim worshippers filled the courtyards and prayer halls of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday, the first day of the four-day Eid al-Adha, to perform Eid prayers.

"The number of worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque for this year's Eid al-Adha prayers was estimated at 140,000," the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said.

An Anadolu correspondent observed a heavy presence of Israeli police around the Old City of East Jerusalem, its alleyways, and at the mosque's outer gates.

Eid-al-Adha commemorates the readiness of Prophet Ibrahim -- also known as Abraham to Christians and Jews -- to sacrifice his son on God’s command.

On this day, Muslims sacrifice animals in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice, and the meat is distributed among the poor in the community.

This year’s Eid al-Adha comes as thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to mark the holiday amid war, blockade, and ongoing Israeli military escalation.

Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023, the West Bank has witnessed an escalation in attacks by the army and the occupiers, particularly in rural and Bedouin areas near settlements and outposts.

The Israeli army has killed around 1,200 Palestinians, injured over 12,600 others, and displaced 33,000 in the West Bank, according to figures published by the Palestinian government media office on Monday.

Some 140,000 Muslim worshippers filled the courtyards and prayer halls of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday, the first day of the four-day Eid al-Adha, to perform Eid prayers.

"The number of worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque for this year's Eid al-Adha prayers was estimated at 140,000," the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said.

An Anadolu correspondent observed a heavy presence of Israeli police around the Old City of East Jerusalem, its alleyways, and at the mosque's outer gates.

Eid-al-Adha commemorates the readiness of Prophet Ibrahim -- also known as Abraham to Christians and Jews -- to sacrifice his son on God’s command.

On this day, Muslims sacrifice animals in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice, and the meat is distributed among the poor in the community.

This year’s Eid al-Adha comes as thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to mark the holiday amid war, blockade, and ongoing Israeli military escalation.