JERUSALEM — Israeli riot police entered the grounds of Islam’s third-holiest shrine Sunday and fired tear-gas and stun grenades to disperse rock-throwing Palestinians who had gathered to prevent Jews from praying at the contested site in Jerusalem’s Old City.
The 45-minute clash outside Al Aqsa mosque underscored the volatility of Jerusalem’s holy places in the Middle East conflict. It sparked protests by Jordan, the 22-nation Arab League and the Palestinian Authority, which is engaged in U.S.-mediated efforts to revive talks with Israel.
Palestinian leaders called the action a deliberate Israeli provocation. Police officials said Palestinians started the fight.
Seventeen police officers were reported hurt and 11 Palestinians arrested as the violence spilled into the narrow streets of the Old City and beyond. Medics said eight Palestinians were treated at hospitals for injuries.
Sunday’s violence erupted as Jews prepared for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which started at sundown. Los Angeles Times
