Masked Palestinians throw rocks, chairs at Temple Mount visitors

Masked men hurled stones, chairs and other objects towards Jewish visitors on the Temple Mount on Thursday morning, injuring several people at the site.

During one of the routine daily group visits on the Temple Mount, Palestinian men inside the al-Aqsa mosque threw large rocks at the visitors as they came within proximity of the holy place.

One of the visitors who was injured required medical attention, while a policeman was also lightly injured.

Policemen initiated searches in the vicinity and have arrested two of the alleged rioters so far, adding that an investigation has been opened and operations to identify other rioters are continuing.

“The Temple organizations welcome the determined position to [re]open the mount in the face of Islamic rioters, and calls on all Jews who can do so to ascend today and strengthen the advancement of the Temple on the Temple Mount,” said a spokesman for the Temple Mount advocacy organizations.

The site was reopened for visits shortly after the incident.

Jewish visitation to the Temple Mount has increased dramatically in the last two years, with more than 21,000 visitors this year so far, a record since the reunification of Jerusalem, the Yeraeh organization says.

Almost 2,600 Jews visited the site over Passover in April, compared to 1,300 the year before, and over 1,600 visited on Jerusalem Day alone last month.