JERUSALEM – Israeli police say they have arrested seven Palestinians after clashes between stone-throwing demonstrators and Israeli security forces in Jerusalem's Old City.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says the clashes erupted Wednesday when some 300 demonstrators tried to block a group of visitors from reaching a sensitive hilltop compound revered by both Jews and Muslims. He says masked demonstrators began to throw stones, prompting security forces to move in.
He says some demonstrators sought refuge inside the nearby Al Aqsa Mosque. Police did not enter the mosque, and no one was injured.
The compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the holiest site in Judaism. Known to Muslims as the "Noble Sanctuary," it is Islam's third-holiest site.
Rosenfeld says security has been heightened ahead of the Jewish New Year holiday.
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