Clashes erupted on Friday between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a major holy site in Jerusalem.
Doctors said more than 150 Palestinians were injured.
This is the largest episode of violence in nearly a year at this mosque where thousands of people gathered to pray during the holy month of Ramadan.
The holy site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, has often been the epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian clashes. Conflicts there last year helped spark an 11-day war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
This year, Ramadan coincides with Passover, Passover, and Christian Holy Week, which culminates on Easter Sunday. Tens of thousands of worshipers were therefore expected in the Old City of Jerusalem, where there are sacred sites for the three religions.
A few hours after the start of the clashes, the police claimed to have put an end to the conflicts and arrested “hundreds” of suspects. The mosque was later reopened and some 60,000 people attended afternoon prayers, according to site administrators.
After the prayers, thousands of Palestinians marched on the esplanade chanting “with our souls, with our blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Al-Aqsa”, along with slogans of support for Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza.
Israeli authorities said they had previously negotiated with Muslim leaders to ensure calm and allow prayers to be held, but Palestinian youths threw stones at the Mughrabi Gate, which leads to the Western Wall — an important Jewish holy place — sparking conflict.
Palestinian witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said a small group of Palestinians threw stones at the police, who then entered the compound.
Palestinians threw rocks and fireworks, while police used tear gas and stun grenades on the esplanade surrounding the mosque. A group of Palestinians then barricaded themselves inside.
Israeli police then entered the mosque and arrested people inside. Israeli security forces rarely enter the building, and when they do, Palestinians consider it a major provocation.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society emergency service said it treated 152 people, many of whom were injured by rubber bullets or stun grenades, or beaten with batons.
“Dangerous Climb”
Neighboring Jordan, which has custody of the holy site, and the Palestinian authorities issued a joint statement accusing Israel of being responsible for a “dangerous and reprehensible escalation which threatens to escalate the situation”.
Israel’s National Security Minister Omer Barlev countered that Israel had “no interest” in violence breaking out at the holy site, but police were forced to confront violent individuals who attacked his agents with stones and metal bars.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said authorities are “trying to calm things down on the Temple Mount and throughout Israel.”
“At the same time, we are prepared for all scenarios,” he added.
The mosque is the third holiest place in Islam. It is built on a hill which is the holiest site for Jews, who call it Temple Mount, and which has been the source of Israeli-Palestinian violence for decades.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem, home to Al-Aqsa and other major holy sites, in the 1967 war and in an internationally unrecognized move. The Palestinians want the eastern part of the city to be the capital of a future independent state comprising the West Bank and Gaza, which Israel also annexed during the war nearly 55 years ago.
Tensions have skyrocketed in recent weeks following a series of Palestinian bombings that killed 14 people inside Israel. Israel carried out a wave of arrests and military operations in the West Bank, triggering clashes in which several Palestinians were killed.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 17-year-old died on Friday morning from injuries sustained during clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin the previous day.
At least 25 Palestinians have been killed in the recent wave of violence, according to an Associated Press count, many of whom had carried out attacks or were involved in the clashes. An unarmed woman is also believed to have died, as is a lawyer who appears to have been killed by mistake.