JERUSALEM, Sept 15 : Palestinians and Israeli forces have clashed at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque for a third straight day, as Israeli forces were seen on the roof of the holy site.
Suleiman Ahmad, the president of Jerusalem's Affairs Department, who was at the scene, told Al Jazeera that at least 36 Palestinians were injured in the clashes early on Tuesday. "They have placed snipers on the rooftops and are using rubber bullets," Ahmad said.
The site of the mosque is revered as holy by Jews and Muslims and is a frequent flashpoint of violence. Palestinians inside Al-Aqsa threw stones and fireworks at the Israeli forces and set up barricades to prevent them from closing the entrance to the mosque.
The police forces eventually closed the doors to the mosque with the Palestinians still inside. Israeli police were trying to allow Jewish activists to tour the courtyards of the mosque, which in the past has stirred angry reactions from Pales-tinians who fear Israel may change the rules for visiting the Al-Aqsa compound. ?AL JAZEERA Online