At least 40,000 Palestinian worshipers have performed communal Friday prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied Jerusalem defying Israeli restrictions.

According to the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, around 40,000 Muslims performed the Friday prayer at the holy shrine.

A heavy contingent of Israeli police was deployed at the entrances, surroundings, and alleys of the city, as well as at the external gates of the Mosque.

Tensions also erupted around the holy site as the Israeli forces arrested a young man near Bab al-Asbat after violently assaulting him.

Meanwhile, a number of young men were forced to perform the Friday prayer near Bab al-Rahma Cemetery after the Israeli police prevented their access to the Mosque.

Israeli authorities also imposed more restrictions on West Bankers’ entry to the Aqsa Mosque compound.

Palestinian activists called for intensifying Palestinian presence at the Aqsa Mosque amid the growing Judaization plans.

They pointed out that Palestinian presence at the holy shrine is a strong message confirming the historical and religious right of the Palestinian people to it.

A day earlier, dozens of settlers stormed the Aqsa Mosque to perform Talmudic rituals in its courtyards, under heavy police protection.