Israeli police raid Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque, a site sacred to Jews and Muslims
Israeli police clashed with young Palestinian protesters demonstrating against Jews visiting the Al Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount, which the third holiest site for Muslims and the holiest site for Jews.
A Palestinian woman protects herself from tear gas during clashes in the Old City, in Jerusalem, Monday Oct. 13, 2014. Israeli police clashed with young Palestinian protesters on Monday at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound.
Mahmoud Illean/AP
Jerusalem
Israeli police say they have raided a Jerusalem holy site to thwart an attack by Palestinian rioters.
Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says police got a tip about a planned violent demonstration and entered the Temple Mount Monday. Troops found firebombs and rocks at the scene and chased the demonstrators toward the Al-Aqsa mosque, where they barricaded themselves inside.
No one was injured in the brief clash.
The hilltop compound is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, where the two biblical Jewish Temples stood. It is sacred to Muslims, who refer to it as the Haram as-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, marking the place where they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
The site is the holiest in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam, and a frequent flashpoint for demonstrations.