Israeli police say they have arrested seven Palestinians over suspected involvement in violence at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site the previous day.
Spokeswoman Luba Samri said on Tuesday that the suspects were connected to Monday’s riots in which Palestinians barricaded themselves inside a mosque at the site and then threw firebombs and rocks at officers outside during a major Jewish holiday.
The hilltop compound in Jerusalem’s Old City is a frequent flashpoint and its fate is a core issue at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It’s known to Jews as the Temple Mount, site of the two biblical Jewish temples. Muslims revere it as the Noble Sanctuary, where they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
Recent violence at the site has raised worldwide fears of widespread unrest.
