Sharjah24 - AFP: On Friday, the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, tens of thousands of worshipers gathered to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.
Authorities said the prayers at Islam's third holiest site passed peacefully despite concerns over a recent surge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The mosque compound in the Israeli-annexed Old City of east Jerusalem has previously seen clashes and violence between Palestinians and Israelis, particularly during Ramadan.
Azzam al-Khatib, head of the Jordanian Waqf Islamic affairs council which administers the compound, said "the prayers went peacefully and everything went well."
Israeli officials estimated the number of worshippers at more than 80,000 while the Waqf said 100,000 had attended the afternoon prayer.
Israeli police said it had deployed 2,300 officers across the city for the day.
A massive crowd streamed through the Bab al-Silsilah entrance to the compound with prayer mats in hand, while some posed for photos in front of the iconic golden Dome of the Rock.
The holy Muslim site is built on top of what Jews call the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site.
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