Tears welled up in the eyes of Imaam-e-Kaaba Sheikh Usaamah Khayaat on Friday as he led a prayer for the people of Palestine.

The imam raised his hands in prayer after the Friday prayers in the Masjid-al-Haram and asked God to grant freedom to the people of Palestine.

He also prayed to Allah to support the Palestinians in their struggle for peace as tears welled up in his eyes.

He also prayed that the sacrifices of the Palestinian people be rewarded.

The imam had to pause in the middle of the prayer as his voice choked up.

Israel has asked half of the residents of Gaza to flee south as it prepares for a ground invasion.

Over 1,000 people were killed after Hamas launched attacks into Israel. In response, Israeli airstrikes killed over 1,000 people in Gaza.