The Israeli police had an altercation with some Palestinians who were protesting at Jerusalem's most holy site on Sunday that caused strain between the two parties during the beginning of the celebration of the Jewish New Year.
Micky Rosenfield, police spokesman, said the police forces went straight into the Al-Aqsa Mosque at 7 a.m. local time on Sunday after they received intelligence reports that Palestinian protesters were aiming to cause disorder when Jewish worshippers visit the particular location, ABC News reported.
Israel Thwarts Planned Attack on Jewish Temple Mount Worshippers https://t.co/EnCcXIoECu pic.twitter.com/te6ENmtrzm
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The spokesperson added that the protesters sealed themselves inside the mosque and started throwing items at the police such as rocks, metal bars and firecrackers. Luba Samri, the police spokeswoman, added that they found pipe bombs the mosque's entrance. The police tried to remove the barricades the protesters put up, but did not try to enter.
The police countered the attacked using tear gas and other dispersal techniques. The dispute was easily controlled and eventually, the compound was reopened for visitors, The New York Times reported.
The site is a respected place both by Jews and Muslims, but is also a place where violent occurrences frequently happen, according to Fox News.
The holy site in Jerusalem's Old City is known to Jews as the Temple Mount and known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. It is one of the three holiest places in the Islam religion. The area was taken from Jordan during the 1967 war, but the transfer was not recognized worldwide. The holy site is under the administration of the Islamic Waqf trust, and under the custodianship of Jordan and the security of Israel which has caused the frequent problems during last year which almost often led to violence, The New York Times added.
