Protests after Israel removes metal detectors from al-Aqsa mosque

Protests have erupted following Israel’s decision to replace metal detectors at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem with advanced surveillance cameras.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced the move last night following days of violent confrontations.

The detectors were placed at the holy site after two guards were killed in a gun battle between Palestinians and Israeli forces on 14 July. Three other Israelis and five Palestinians died in the clashes that followed, while hundreds more have been injured, The Guardian reports.

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The Jerusalem Post calls the decision to remove the detectors as a "victory" for both sides.

However, Sheikh Najeh Bakirat, director of al-Aqsa Mosque, said the move "does not fulfil the demands of the Muslim worshippers, as the security cameras remain."

Security is not the only issue at the holy site, which is known as Temple Mount by Jews and the Haram al-Sharif by Muslims. The Palestinian view is that "giving in to metal detectors would in a way be seen as conceding to Israel's assertion of its sovereignty over the holy site and by extension to whole of Jerusalem", Brookings Institution fellow Khaled el-Gindy told al Jazeera.

UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov says a solution is needed by Friday as the dispute threatens to have "potential catastrophic costs well beyond the walls of the Old City".