Israel shuts Al Aqsa Mosque compound

Unrest at a highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site led Israeli police to shut off access to it on Tuesday after several weeks of tension at the location. Police said they evacuated the Al Aqsa mosque compound after a Molotov cocktail damaged a police post.

Video spread online of scuffles between police and Palestinians before the site was cleared. More than 10 people were arrested, police said, while the Palestinian Red Crescent reported two people hurt. A police officer suffered from smoke inhalation, police said. Police said they found a number of firecrackers and Molotov cocktails in searches of the site.

Residents said police were also restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem’s Old City, where the site is located. Worshippers later prayed outside the locked gates of the site in protest. The compound is the third-holiest site in Islam and a focus of Palestinian aspirations for statehood.