Palestinians, Israel police clash at key holy site in Jerusalem

PanARMENIAN.Net - Clashes have erupted between dozens of stone-throwing Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at a key holy site in Jerusalem, police said, according to BBC News.

The Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif compound was briefly closed to visitors, but has since reopened. Police said they used tear gas to disperse the crowd, which later fled.

The site was temporarily closed last week amid an escalation of tension over the shooting of a prominent right-wing Jewish activist.

Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who was seriously wounded in the attack, was a well-known campaigner for the right of Jews to pray at the site, which is currently prohibited.

The compound - known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif - is the holiest site in Judaism, and contains the al-Aqsa Mosque - the third holiest site in Islam.

Dozens of masked protesters hurled rocks and launched fireworks at police near the non-Muslim visitors' entrance to the site on Wednesday morning, Israeli police said.

They said they managed to disperse the crowd using stun grenades, but no arrests were made. Several police officers were injured in the incident, they added.

A Palestinian manager at the compound reportedly said some 20 people were wounded in the clashes.

There has been an escalation in tension in the city since the Gaza conflict last summer, with nightly clashes seen in some East Jerusalem districts between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.

Last week, a Palestinian man suspected of attacking Rabbi Glick was shot after opening fire when Israeli police surrounded his home last week.

Hundreds of people turned out for the funeral of 31-year-old Moataz Hejazi.

Crowds of Palestinians also took to the streets to protest against the rare closure of Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif last week. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the decision to close the site was tantamount to a declaration of war.