Clashes break out at al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem

He also noted with concerns allegations of excessive use of force against protesters by Palestinian security forces in Bethlehem on Friday, and welcomed the decision by the Palestinian Authority to set up an investigative committee into the conduct of police during this demonstration.

Police said young protesters barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque despite an order permitting only men over the age of 50 from entering the compound for prayers. He said that Israeli forces “are firing live ammunition at protesters” in a few parts of Hebron.

Regular visits by non-Muslims permitted between 7:30 am and 11:00 am were then allowed to go ahead, according to police.

Netanyahu lobbied fiercely against the deal before it was adopted and sharply criticised it in the weeks afterward, but has recently eased off amid criticism at home about damage to Israel’s relations with the United States, its most important ally.

The al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third holiest site after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The Palestinian leader’s address comes against a background of further clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians at a disputed holy site.

Efforts by Israeli police to allow Jewish activists to tour the courtyards of the mosque have stirred strong reactions from Palestinians who fear Israel may change the rules for visiting the compound.

They also barricaded the mosque’s doors with wood and other debris as they have done during previous protests.

Jews celebrate Sukkot, or the Fest of Tabernacles, to commemorate their journey through the Sinai wilderness to the holy land after their Exodus from Egyptian slavery.

The hilltop compound, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, was largely quiet Tuesday.

A few extremist Jewish groups openly advocate for the destruction of the iconic Al-Aqsa Mosque so that a Jewish temple might be built in its place.

Police were deployed to the compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, after clashes a day earlier.

The recent wave of violence has seen Israeli settlers and soldiers attacking Palestinian worshipers following the deployment of Israeli troops to the area for the Jewish Rosh Hashanah New Year holiday.

Clashes occurred over three consecutive days between rioters and police, provoking global calls for calm at the highly sensitive site.

After Israel conquered east Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast War, Israel and Jordan reached the so-called “status quo” understanding, which have been incorporated into the 1994 peace treaty between the countries.