Israel on Sunday said it would not remove metal detectors whose installation outside a major Jerusalem mosque has triggered the bloodiest clashes with the Palestinians in years, but could eventually reduce their use.
Israel installed the metal detectors after an attack at the site in which two Israeli police officers were killed.
In addition to the metal detectors, Israel has also began installing sophisticated security cameras at one of the entrances to the compound housing the al-Aqsa mosque, known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, Guardian reported.
The metal detectors — seen by Palestinians and Arab countries as an attempt by Israel to exert control over the holy site — triggered widespread protests across Jerusalem and the West Bank. The added installation of security cameras is liable to spark more protests, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss the bloodiest spate of Israeli-Palestinian violence for years, diplomats said on Saturday.
Sweden, Egypt and France requested the meeting to “urgently discuss how calls for de-escalation in Jerusalem can be supported,” Sweden’s deputy UN ambassador, Carl Skau, tweeted. The Arab League has warned Israel is “playing with fire” over the “red line” of Jerusalem.
