Dozens of Palestinian worshippers gathered outside Jerusalem's Old City walls to observe Laylat al-Qadr as the Al-Aqsa Mosque remained closed by Israeli forces for the 16th consecutive day.
Dozens of Palestinian youths and women gathered outside the walls of the Old City in occupied Jerusalem to observe Laylat al-Qadr on the 27th night of Ramadan, according to the Palestinian-aligned Quds News Network. Worshippers were forced to pray outside the gates due to the continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the 16th consecutive day, as reported by multiple sources including Jenin News and Palestine Post.
The gatherings were concentrated near Bab al-Sahira (Herod's Gate) and at vantage points overlooking the mosque. Worshippers observed the holy night "amid the deployment of occupation soldiers," according to Al Jazeera Quds. A report from Al-Qastal | Jerusalem, a network focused on Palestinian affairs in the city, noted that the heavy military presence included "threatening worshippers with assault" during their prayers outside the Old City walls.
The prolonged closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli authorities takes place against the backdrop of an unprecedented regional war that erupted earlier in March 2026, leading to heightened security measures and widespread unrest across the Middle East.
Observance of the 27th night of Ramadan also continued in other conflict zones. In Gaza, a group of journalists performed night prayers inside the journalists' camp at the Nasser Medical Complex, according to footage shared by the Palestine Dialogue Network.
The source material exclusively represents a Palestinian editorial perspective, consistently using terms such as 'occupation soldiers' and 'occupied Jerusalem.' The English translation strictly preserves this original terminology and narrative framing without sanitization, as per the translation fidelity guidelines.