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Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers clashed at a Jerusalem holy site as overlapping Jewish and Muslim holidays led to tensions there.
Police fired sound grenades as Palestinian protests intensified at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, known to Jews as Temple Mount. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported injuries without specifying a number.
Today marks the start of the Muslim Eid-ul-Azha holiday and thousands of Palestinians prayed at the Al-Aqsa mosque. It coincides with the Jewish Tisha B’av holiday, which typically sees an increase in Jewish visits to the holy site.
In a bid to ease tensions, police barred Jewish visits to the site today but Muslim worshippers still feared they would be allowed in and protested there. The clashes with police broke out afterwards.
The compound, which includes the Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, is a sensitive site in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is the third-holiest site in Islam and the most sacred for Jews, who are allowed to visit but not pray there to avoid provoking tensions.