13 Palestinians wounded in clashes at Al Aqsa Mosque

Tensions heightened in Occupied East Jerusalem after Israel installed metal detectors at Al Aqsa compound. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says ties with Israel will remain suspended "unless all measures go back to what they were before July 14.

Palestinian women pray at the Lions' Gate following an appeal from clerics to pray in the streets instead of inside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, in Jerusalem's Old City, Tuesday, July 25, 2017.
TRT World and Agencies

Palestinian women pray at the Lions' Gate following an appeal from clerics to pray in the streets instead of inside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, in Jerusalem's Old City, Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

At least 13 Palestinians have been wounded when Israeli police fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets at Muslims outside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday.

Tensions have heightened in Occupied East Jerusalem after Israel installed metal detectors at the entrance to the holy site last week following a deadly shooting.

The metal detectors were removed by Israel early on Tuesday, but there are plans to install "security inspection based on advanced technologies and other means," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday he will maintain a freeze on coordination with Israel until it removes "all the new measures" from the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Occupied East Jerusalem.

TRT World's Nafisa Latic reports.

"Unless all measures go back to what they were before July 14, there will not be any changes," Abbas said in a speech, referring to the date Israel temporarily closed access to the compound after a shooting in which three Palestinians and two Israeli policemen were killed.

Two days later Israel reopened the site with new security measures, including metal detectors at the entrances, sparking an ongoing boycott of the compound by Palestinians and deadly unrest.

The Palestinian government froze coordination with Israel, including on security matters, in protest against the moves at the compound referred to as Haram al Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, by Muslims and Temple Mount by the Jews. The site is the third-holiest in Islam and the most sacred for Jews.

The Waqf, the Islamic endowments organisation which administers the mosque compound, said on Tuesday worshippers would continue to stay away from the Al Aqsa Mosque and pray in the streets outside in protest.

"De-escalation is urgent"

The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations echoed Abbas' words and demanded that all Israeli security measures at the compound be removed.

"De-escalation is urgent," Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian representative, told a UN Security Council debate on the Middle East.

Mansour appealed for a "continuation of all efforts to restore the historic status quo at Al Aqsa compound" and said, "this requires the lifting of all measures in violation of the status quo."

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