Arrests at holy site in Jerusalem

An aerial view of the golden Dome of the Rock Mosque at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount
The site is holy to both Jews and Muslims

Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers have clashed at Jerusalem's most sensitive religious site.

Police arrested people who were throwing stones in the Temple Mount compound, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, a police spokesman said.

The site houses both the al-Aqsa mosque and the Jewish holy site, the Western Wall. A spokesman said police did not enter the al-Aqsa mosque itself.

The clashes came amid rising tensions in the past weeks over the area.

On Saturday, Jerusalem police announced they would strengthen policing around the Temple Mount after Muslim leaders urged Palestinians to defend Jerusalem against "Jewish conquest."

There have been rumours among Palestinians that Jewish extremists were planning on harming the holy site - though no such attempt has been made.

Last month, police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse 150 Palestinian protesters who had thrown rocks at non-Muslims who entered the al-Aqsa mosque compound.

Israeli police said the visitors were foreign tourists, but Palestinians said they were Jewish extremists.

In the most recent incident, Police said they entered the compound in the morning after demonstrators threw stones and a petrol bomb at police.

Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said security forces used stun grenades to disperse the demonstrators, and that they remain on high alert in the area.

Police also said they had arrested the Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs, Hatem Abdel Qader, on charges of incitement.

Palestinian officials said police had sealed off the compound and that some 100 Palestinian worshippers remained inside.