Israeli police arrest 7 Palestinians at Jerusalem holy site

Israeli police Wednesday arrested seven Palestinians at Temple Mount in Jerusalem after riots broke out at the holy site, said police spokesperson Mickey Rosenfeld.

Clashes erupted when Muslim worshippers hurled stones at police forces during the Jewish New Year celebration in the temple premises, reported Xinhua.

Police forces stopped 16 buses from making it into the site, the Ha'aretz daily reported.

Seven people were arrested for hurling stones.

Temple Mount is run by the Muslim Waqf and guarded by Israeli security forces. Jews are not allowed to pray at the site, but can only come for visit due to a delicate status quo agreement.

According to the report, Wednesday's events are apparently related to the arrest Tuesday of Raed Salah, the leader of the northern branch of the Muslim movement.

He was arrested on charges of instigation in a speech he made last week accusing Israel of trying to torch the Arab world and Egypt, and the Muslim Al-Aqsa Mosque in Temple Mount.

Police have beefed up security across the city after exposing a plot to set off a bomb in a Jerusalem mall by two suspects from east Jerusalem, earlier this week.

These militants were reportedly recruited by the Hamas militant group.