Israeli police have again closed access to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Beit ul-Muqaddas (Jerusalem) to Palestinian worshipers as clashes continue in the heart of the city. It comes a day after an Israeli minister said the mosque would be replaced with a Jewish temple.
The holy site has been a focus of tension since last week, when Israel closed it to Muslim worshipers.
Israeli police closed it for the first time since 1963, provoking outcry from the Arab population, the RT reported.
Access was renewed a day later, but males under 50 were still banned from entry.
The renewed shutdown of Al-Aqsa on Wednesday comes after daily clashes in the streets of Beit ul-Muqaddas and the Old City.
Israeli security forces used stun grenades to disperse the protesting crowd. Some 20 people were reportedly injured in the fresh clash.
Israel’s control of access to Al-Aqsa has been a sore point in relations between Jews and Palestinians for decades.
The Second Intifada, a wave of armed Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation, was triggered by a September 2000 visit to the mosque by right-wing politician Ariel Sharon, who at the time was campaigning for the Israeli prime ministership.
