A senior Iranian diplomat has praised Palestinians for their significant presence at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound as they performed Eid al-Fitr prayers, stating that the holy fasting month of Ramadan breathes new life into the Palestinian struggle for freedom, and pushes it closer to final liberation from the Israeli occupation.
“Every year in the holy month of Ramadan, the cause for the liberation of Palestine gets a new life and the sacred city of al-Quds moves closer to freedom,” Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kan’ani wrote in a post published on his Twitter page on Saturday.
He added, “Palestine, as always, shone brightly during this year's Ramadan, both in the struggle for liberation and mass [Eid] prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.”
Kan’ani wrote in a separate Twitter post that the state of affairs across the occupied Palestinian lands is now in greater disarray.
He said while extremist Jewish settlers are more desperate than ever before, Palestinians espouse stronger beliefs and are more determined about complete liberation of Palestine and destruction of “the cancerous tumor of Israel”.
On Friday, a total of 120,000 Palestinian worshipers performed the Eid al-Fitr prayers at the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque compound despite strict measures taken by Israel.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli forces assaulted Palestinian youths, beating them with sticks near the Lions’ Gate in occupied al-Quds, as they were on their way to perform the Eid prayers.
During the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli authorities imposed strict restrictions on the entry and exit of Palestinians to and from the gates of al-Aqsa Mosque. Amid heightened tensions with Palestinian worshipers, Israeli settlers also pressed ahead with their frequent incursions and provocative rituals at the holy site.
The resistance movements in Gaza and elsewhere vowed, in return, to confront the Israeli regime on multiple fronts.
On April 6, at least 30 rockets were reportedly launched from southern Lebanon into the Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for the Israeli aggression against al-Aqsa. Resistance fighters based in Gaza also fired several rockets toward the occupied territories.
Palestinian sources said Israel's Iron Dome failed to intercept most of the rockets. Following the retaliatory attack, Israeli warplanes hit targets inside Gaza and positions of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in Lebanon.