Holy Place of Conflict: Oysters thrown at the police; Police respond with shock bombs

Holy Place of Conflict: Oysters thrown at the police; Police respond with shock bombs

At least 20 people were injured in clashes that erupted early this morning between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

These are the data of the Palestinian Medical Service.

It is not yet known what caused the violence, and the Islamic Community that manages the mosque announced that the Israeli police intervened shortly after the morning prayer, when thousands of believers were in the mosque, AP reports.

Video footage of the incident from the Internet shows Palestinians throwing stones at police who fire tear gas and shock bombs, the agency said.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Emergency Service said 20 injured people were taken to hospitals, and the mosque's administration said one of the guards was hit in the eye with a rubber bullet. Al-Aqsa is the third holiest place for Islamic believers, and it was built on the top of a hill which is the holiest place for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount, and it has been the main hotbed for Israeli-Palestinian violence for decades, according to the AP.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians are expected to gather today in Al-Aqsa for prayer on Friday, during Ramadan, the most important and holy month in the Islamic faith. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have risen in recent weeks after a series of deadly Palestinian attacks that killed 14 people in Israel.

Israel has since made several arrests and military operations in the occupied West Bank, sparking clashes in which several Palestinians have been killed, according to the AP.