Third day of violence at shrine in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: Israeli police armed with stun grenades and tear gas clashed with rock-throwing Palestinian youths who barricaded themselves inside Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque yesterday, police and witnesses said, in the third day of violence at the sacred site.

Masked Palestinians hurled flares at the security forces, who said they were trying to secure the plaza outside Islam’s third holiest shrine to stop what they called Palestinian attempts to disrupt visits to the compound on Jewish New Year.

The US and UN secretarygeneral Ban Ki-moon both said they are concerned about the violence at the site, revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as the Temple Mount.

King Abdullah from neighbouring Jordan said the Israeli actions were provocative and could imperil ties between the countries, state media reported yesterday, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel’s actions.

Jordan’s Hashemite dynasty derives part of its legitimacy from its traditional custodianship of the holy site. Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994.

“If this continues to happen… Jordan will have no choice but to take action,” Abdullah was quoted as saying without elaborating.

Palestinian presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rdeinah said Abbas and Abdullah had discussed the events by phone.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold an emergency ministerial meeting late yesterday, called after an Israeli motorist died in a crash police said was caused by suspected stone-throwing.

Twenty-six Palestinians were injured yesterday, none of them seriously, said the director of the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency unit, Amin Abu Ghazaleh.

Israeli police spokesperson Luba Samri said five officers were lightly wounded and two Palestinians arrested. – Reuters