Firebomb sparks unrest at Jerusalem holy site

JERUSALEM -- Israeli police closed the entrances to Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site after Palestinian suspects threw a firebomb at a police station Tuesday. The rare move drew angry reactions across the Muslim world.

There were no injuries reported from the firebombing. But police quickly deployed across the hilltop compound, scuffling with Palestinians in the area, as they searched for the assailants. At least three suspects were arrested, and police were seen wrestling a woman to the ground.

The incident further heightened tensions at the site, which is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The spot, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and gold-topped Dome of the Rock, is a frequent flashpoint of violence.

After the incident, Israeli police sealed off entrances to the compound. Police also restricted entrance to the Old City, home to Jerusalem's most important religious sites, allowing only residents to pass through certain entrances to the Muslim and Christian quarters. Other entrances to the Old City remained open.

Firas Dibs, spokesman for the Waqf, the Jordanian-appointed Islamic body administering the site, said police had cleared nearly all worshippers from the compound. "All doors are closed and no one is allowed in," he said.

Several dozen worshippers gathered just outside the compound for impromptu prayers as Israeli police stood watch.

Police confirmed three arrests, while Dibs said six people had been arrested and 10 others injured in scuffles with police.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the "dangerous Israeli escalation" and warned of "serious repercussions." In a statement, he called on the international community to intervene.

The closure of the sacred compound also drew censure from Jordan. Abdul Nasser Abu Basal, Jordanian minister of Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, described the barring of Muslim worshippers from the site as "a flagrant assault on all religious values, rights and freedom," and "an attack on all Muslims that touches the entire Islamic nation."