The religious population in Palestine is 93% Sunni Islam and 6% Christian (2023)
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/10/26/not-about-religion-the-historical-and-political-root-of-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/
Palestinians perform Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque amid tight Israeli curbs
https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/12/29/palestinians-perform-friday-prayers-at-al-aqsa-amid-tight-israeli-curbs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzpQpAtMPno
Al-Aqṣā Mosque
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Al-Aqsa-Mosque
"Al-Aqṣā Mosque, mosque in Jerusalem, located in the Old City at the terminal point of the Prophet Muhammad’s Isrāʾ journey. According to Islamic sources, the Qurʾān (17:1) indicates that Muhammad was miraculously transported one night from Mecca (al-masjid al-ḥaram, or “the sacred place of worship”) to this site in Jerusalem (al-masjid al-aqṣā, “the farther place of worship”).
On that spot he led Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other messengers (rusul) of God in ritual prayer (ṣalāt). That same night he was taken up to heaven from the site of the Dome of the Rock for an encounter with God (see Miʿrāj). The term Al-Aqṣā Mosque is often extended to denote the entirety of the plaza on which the mosque and the Dome of the Rock stand, although the plaza is known formally as Al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (“the Noble Sanctuary”).
In modern times the mosque and the plaza have become a particular point of tension in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Apart from its importance to Muslims, the plaza holds significance for Jews as the site of the Temple of Jerusalem, whose Herodian incarnation was destroyed in 70 ce. The Temple Mount, as Jews refer to the plaza, and the adjacent Western Wall have since served as a site of pilgrimage. During the Six-Day War (1967), Israel (state established in 1948) occupied East Jerusalem and its Old City, which had been part of Jordan. Israel later annexed East Jerusalem, but the plaza was left under the custodianship of an Islamic trust (waqf) maintained by the Hashemite dynasty in Jordan.
In the following decades, however, restrictions on Palestinian Muslims’ access to the site, as well as Israeli excavation projects in the vicinity and evictions of Palestinian residents in nearby neighbourhoods, contributed to Muslims’ concerns over the holy site’s fate."
Al Aqsa Mosque: Why is it so special in Islam?: Israeli troops have attacked Al Aqsa, the third holiest site for Muslims, during several Ramadans. Here is what makes the place so significant within the Islamic faith.
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/al-aqsa-mosque-why-is-it-so-special-in-islam-12797653
"The prophets of the children of Israel are undoubtedly included when Muslims refer to the Holy Land as the "land of the prophets" and according to Islam, they form a continuity in the line of prophecy that ended with Prophet Muhammad.
Another example of a prophet who had a special relationship with the Holy Land and Jerusalem, in particular, is Prophet Abraham. After he destroyed the idols of his people in ancient Babylon, he had to leave the city. He eventually landed in Palestine. In the Quran, there is a mention of his new home in the Holy Land.
Land of the Prophets
Almost every prophet – including those who were born elsewhere – lived in the Holy Land or had a special connection to it, which makes Al Aqsa important in the eyes of Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad has also explained the importance of Al Aqsa in light of previous Abrahamic religions.
The prophets of the children of Israel are undoubtedly included when Muslims refer to the Holy Land as the "land of the prophets" and according to Islam, they form a continuity in the line of prophecy that ended with Prophet Muhammad.
Another example of a prophet who had a special relationship with the Holy Land and Jerusalem, in particular, is Prophet Abraham. After he destroyed the idols of his people in ancient Babylon, he had to leave the city. He eventually landed in Palestine. In the Quran, there is a mention of his new home in the Holy Land...
In light of these events, Al Aqsa is more than just a piece of land for Muslims worldwide. For Muslims, every Israeli attack on the sanctuary is seen as an attack on Islam."
