Israeli police and Arab worshippers clashed near Jerusalem’s flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City on Sunday and several people were arrested, an Israeli police spokesperson and Palestinian officials said.
The clashes came amid rising tensions in the past weeks over the area known to Jews as Temple Mount and to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, site of the mosque and the Dome of the Rock, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said youths threw stones and a petrol bomb at police on a routine patrol near the al-Aqsa mosque. He said 12 arrests were made in and around the compound.
Palestinian officials said police had closed off the compound to visitors, leaving hundreds of worshippers inside.
Rosenfeld said the forces were trying to disperse the crowd but could not confirm that the area had been sealed off. He said fewer than 100 civilians were involved in the violent incident.
A clash last month led to police reducing access to the mosque compound for several days during a Jewish holiday. — Reuters