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Israel closed on Friday for about four hours access to the mosque esplanade in the Old City of Jerusalem, following clashes between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli security forces after the prayer.
access to this site, the third holy place of Islam on which stands the Al-Aqsa mosque, was restored around 18:00 local (15:00 GMT), according to an AFP journalist who was able to see the faithful Muslims flock again on the esplanade.
According to Israeli police, clashes erupted after Friday prayers when "rioters started throwing fireworks at the police."
The site was then evacuated and the forces of the Israeli orders carried out arrests, according to the same source. Video footage published by the Waqf, the Muslim religious authority in charge of this holy site, shows Israeli police throwing tear gas canisters to disperse Palestinians.
Mosque Esplanade, or Temple Mount for Jews, is a frequent point of friction between Palestinians and the Israeli security forces
It is located in East Jerusalem in the Palestinian part of the holy city, occupied and annexed by Israel. The UN never recognized this annexation
In July 2017, the Israeli decision to install metal detectors to control access to the esplanade caused several weeks of riots.
ag-mab -jod-dms / iw / sea
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