Border Policewoman hurt in Jerusalem as tensions flare on Temple Mount
Molotov cocktail is thrown at police station in Jerusalem's Old City; police close all entrances and exits to the Temple Mount in search of perpetrators, sparking violent clashes at the scene; Abbas: 'There will be grave consequences'
The police entered the Temple Mount following the attack and closed off all the entrances and exits to the compound in order to locate the perpetrators, which led to violent clashes between the worshippers and Israeli security services. Three Palestinian suspects were then detained.
The commander of the Jerusalem district, Major General Doron Yedid, arrived at the scene shortly after and ordered for the compound to remain closed in order to inspect the area for other explosive devices that might be left behind by the attackers.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned in an official statement what he described as “Israeli escalation” following the clashes, and warned of “grave consequences.”
"We call on the international community to intervene urgently in order to prevent the escalation … we are holding urgent talks with all relevant parties, particularly with Jordan, in order to put pressure on Israeli government to put a stop to this dangerous escalation," the statement issued by Abbas’s office said.
Tensions at the holy site have been at the all-time high in recent weeks after Waqf—the Islamic trust tasked with maintaining the Muslim structures at the Temple Mount—opened the gates leading to one of the small compounds in the eastern part of the Mount, which has remained sealed off for years.
In addition, the Israeli military said its troops shot dead a Palestinian man earlier on Tuesday, after he lunged toward them with a kitchen knife near a military post in Hebron in an attempted stabbing attack.
Associated Press contributed to this report
