Israeli police enter Jerusalem holy site, block Arab youths

In a statement, Israeli police said that they stormed the mosque to root out what they said were Palestinian protesters suspected of stockpiling fireworks and petrol bombs in preparation for a riot.

Israeli police stormed the mosque shortly after the skirmishes on Sunday morning and closed the gates of the compound, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in the city reported.

Palestinians threw stones and fireworks while police fired stun grenades after security forces entered the Al-Aqsa compound, which is also revered by Jews, before briefly going inside the mosque itself. There were no immediate reports of any Palestinian casualties. Jewish worshippers are not allowed to pray at the site.

The hilltop compound in Jerusalem’s Old City is the most sacred site in Judaism and Islam’s third holiest, after Mecca and Medina.

Israeli media said the Palestinians had intended to disrupt visits by observant Jews to the Western Wall. Israeli police released a video showing rocks and other objects being thrown and officers responding.

The clashes came as Jews attempted to enter the mosque in honor of Tisha B’av, a day that marks the destruction of ancient Hebrew temples. The frequent violations anger Palestinian Muslims and occasionally lead to violent confrontations.

According to Israeli police, Palestinian youths barricaded themselves overnight in the mosque.

Jews are permitted to visit the compound but are officially barred from praying to avoid violence.

These attacks are related to Israel’s Sunday morning invasion of Jerusalem’s al Aqsa mosque complex, during which some 16 Palestinians were wounded by rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas inhalation, whilst three were arrested.

Police speaker Micky Rosenfeld says police acquired preceding precautions that is actually shrouded Arab youngsters were usually blockading ones self included in the al-Aqsa Mosque provided with the use of rubble and flames fumigators.

Israel seized east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the worldwide community.