Clashes between Israeli security services and a swell of Muslim worshippers trying to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount have left 37 injured, despite what had appeared to be a resolution to a two-week standoff over access to the holy site.
The chaotic violence erupted as thousands of worshippers pressed through into the Temple Mount compound, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, following a boycott by worshippers at Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock inside, Agence France-Presse reported.
On the ground, smoke could be seen rising from tear gas canisters in the compound amid reports Israeli forces fired stun grenades to disperse the crowds.
Related: Tel Aviv Diary: Israelis fear violence is spinning out of control
In the moments before the site reopened, security kept closed one gate where on July 14 two Israeli police officers were shot, prompting the standoff. As a result of the attack, carried out by three Arab-Israelis, Israeli police closed the Temple Mount for two days, reopening it on Sunday after instituting new security measures that included introducing metal detectors at the compound's entrances.
Palestinians, who perceived the measures as an attempt by Israel to expand its control over the site, called for a day of rage in response. In the days following the installation of the metal detectors, clashes broke out around the compound and in the West Bank, leaving five Palestinians dead.
Israel said the newly installed railings, scaffolding and cameras that were needed to stop more guns being smuggled in were cleared Thursday after a vote to dismantle them by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet.
Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the spiritual leader of the al-Aqsa Mosque, said prayers would resume following removal of the security apparatus. Islamic leaders hailed the decision of the Israeli government as a rare victory for Palestinians.
The Temple Mount lies in Jerusalem's Old City, which was captured with the rest of East Jerusalem by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War in 1967.
The annexation of the city has not been recognized by the international community, which says it is part of the West Bank. Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism, as part of its indivisible capital.
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Callum Paton is a staff writer at Newsweek specializing in North Africa and the Middle East. He has worked freelance ... Read more
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