By RAWHI RAZIM, Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM – Israeli forces stormed Jerusalem's holiest shrine Sunday, firing stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinian protesters who were pelting them with stones.
Although there were no serious injuries, it was one of the most intense incidents of violence in recent unrest around the hilltop compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. In the past, clashes at the site have erupted into deadly violence.
Muslim leaders had urged the crowd to gather at the site's Al-Aqsa Mosque early Sunday in response to what they said was "Jewish conquest." Israeli police said the protesters hurled a fire bomb and poured oil on the ground to make the forces slip.
A large wall of riot police, holding plexiglass shields, closed in on the crowd, sending many protesters — overwhelmingly young men — running into the mosque for cover. Forces didn't enter the holy site, but protesters inside occasionally opened the shuttered doors to throw objects. At one point, protesters shot water and a fire extinguisher toward the door.
Three police officers were lightly wounded, and 15 protesters were arrested, including the Palestinian president's adviser on Jerusalem affairs for alleged incitement, said spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
Palestinian medics accused Israel of preventing ambulances from reaching the area. Two protesters were seen being taken away with injuries, including an elderly man who was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet.
Hundreds of protesters remained holed up inside, and later Sunday, police said the crowd had gathered outside for a new round of clashes. Hundreds of police remained in the area, and emergency medical services were on high alert, in case of further violence, police said.
Around midday, small groups of youths were seen darting in and out of alleyways, throwing stones and bottles at police, who responded with more stun grenades.
Israel's national police chief, Dudu Cohen, accused a small group of Muslim extremists of trying to foment violence.
"The police will act with a strong hand against anyone who disrupts order on the Temple Mount and against those incite to riot," he said.
The disputing claims to the hilltop compound in Jerusalem's Old City lie at the heart of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It is revered as the holiest site in Judaism, home to the biblical Temples.
It also is the third-holiest site in Islam, after the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina, and believed to be the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The Al-Aqsa Mosque and famous gold-covered Dome of the Rock lie inside.
The site has been under Israeli control since 1967, but it is administered by a Muslim religious body known as the Waqf. The compound is opened for several hours a day to allow tourists and Jews to visit, though they are not permitted to pray there.
Tensions have been high in recent weeks since local Muslim leaders accused Israel of digging under the compound and plotting to harm Muslim holy sites.
They have provided no evidence to support the claims, though Israel has carried out archaeological digs in nearby areas. Two weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angrily accused Muslim extremists of spreading baseless lies.
The Palestinians seek to make east Jerusalem the capital of a future independent state, while Netanyahu says he will never share control of the holy city.
Religious and nationalist sentiment connected with the site have made it a flashpoint for violence in the past. A visit in 2000 by Ariel Sharon, then an Israeli opposition leader, helped ignite deadly clashes that escalated into violence that engulfed Israel and the Palestinian territories for several years.
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority condemned the Israeli operation. "Jerusalem is a red line that Israel should not cross," said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas.
In the Gaza Strip, the ruling Hamas militant group called on Palestinians to rise up against Israel, for Arabs and Muslims worldwide to punish Israel. "The real battle begins again," declared spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
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AP correspondents Michael Barajas and Dalia Nammari contributed to this report.
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