Israeli police in riot gear stormed the square outside Al Aqsa mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites, to battle stone-throwing Palestinians yesterday at the spot where a Palestinian uprising began four years ago.

Police said they fired rubber bullets and tossed stun grenades after hundreds of Muslims leaving Friday prayers threw stones at security men and Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall below.


A Palestinian clashes with Israeli border police at the Lions Gate outside Al Aqsa mosque. Picture: Reuters
Shmuel Rabinovitch, chief rabbi at the Western Wall - the most sacred site of Jewish prayer -said police rushed in and evacuated worshippers after a single stone fell into the plaza.

The Islamic Waqf, which oversees the mosque compound, said police acted without provocation and that 20 people were injured.

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said in a statement that Al Aqsa was "in danger" and called on all Muslims and Christians and the US-led diplomatic "quartet" of peacebrokers to help safeguard it.

Israeli authorities said 14 Palestinians were arrested at Al Haram Al Qudsi Al Sharif (Noble Sanctuary).

Hamas, the main Islamic group behind a campaign of suicide bombings against Israelis, called Israel's storming of the compound a "new escalation ... after shedding Palestinian blood".

Palestinians rebelled in 2000 after Ariel Sharon, then Israel's opposition leader and now prime minister, visited the compound.

In the latest clash, Palestinians chanting "With our souls and our blood we will redeem you, Palestine" darted between Al Aqsa's ancient columns as they rained stones on helmeted police lined up with plastic shields.

"No one threw stones (before the police action)," Waqf director Adnan Husseini told Reuters. "They (police) started doing this every Friday to scare elderly worshippers as younger ones are already banned. This is flagrant violation of freedom of worship."

Said Danny Bundakji, a Muslim chaplain from the Los Angeles Police Department who is visiting the area on an interfaith mission: "I was praying. I barely finished praying, I started hearing heavy shooting, and I couldn't believe that kind of aggression from the Israelis on a place of worship".

In the southern West Bank town of Bethlehem, a Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli troops yesterday, Palestinian medical sources and witnesses said.

Nasser Issa Hajahjeh, 16, was hit in the chest and head when troops opened fire on a group of stonethrowers, the sources said.