Palestinian paramedics carry a woman after Israeli security forces fired teargas and pepper spray in a street of the Muslim quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City during scuffles with Israeli riot police on September 15, 2015, as Palestinians and Israeli police clashed at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for a third straight day. (AFP Photo/Ahmad Gharbali)
Tel Aviv, Asharq Al-Awsat—Israeli police attacked Palestinian protesters at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Tuesday for the third day in a row, in what the mosque’s media spokesman Firas Al-Dabs said was “the most violent day” at the site since Israeli forces stormed it on Sunday.
Around 26 Palestinians have been injured in the attacks thus far, according to Amine Abu Ghazaleh, the head of the Palestinian Red Crescent. He said Israeli police used teargas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades on protesters.
The police then attempted to block access to the site for Palestinians, eyewitnesses said.
The clashes began when Israeli police entered the site on Sunday—the start of the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah—to escort a group of Jewish activists to tour the compound.
Several protesters were trapped inside the compound and the police were then able to escort the activists inside the site.
Visits by Israeli officials to the Al-Aqsa compound have often resulted in clashes and violence, with police attacking worshippers and repeatedly blocking access to the site for Palestinians.
The Al-Aqsa compound is considered holy by both Muslims and Jews but Jews have traditionally prayed only outside the compound at the Western Wall.
However, there have been increasing calls from Israeli ultra-rightwing nationalists for Jews to pray inside the compound, known as the Haram Al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, for Muslims, and the Temple Mount for Jews.
Palestinians fear this means Israelis will change the rules regarding the site, allowing access for Jews and Muslims at different times, as they have done for other sites such as the one believed to house the tomb of the Prophet Abraham in Hebron.
King Abdullah of Jordan, which has custodianship of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, condemned the actions by the Israeli police and said they could lead to a reevaluation of ties between the two countries, who have a peace treaty in place since 1994.
“Any more provocations in Jerusalem will affect the relationship between Jordan and Israel, and Jordan will have no choice but to take action, unfortunately,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
Palestinian authorities condemned the attacks and accused the Israeli administration of “dragging the world into a religious war” and of “playing with fire.”