Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces near a contested Jerusalem shrine after Muslim worshippers massed outside for evening prayers on Thursday as tensions over the holy site escalated further. Israel has defended the detectors as a necessary security measure, one it says is used routinely at holy sites around the world. But Muslim clerics have called for mass protests at the site on Friday — unless the detectors are removed by then. The security services are reportedly divided over what to do about the detectors, given the rising tensions surrounding the site. It was only the third closure since Israel captured the shrine, along with east Jerusalem and other territories, in the 1967 Mideast war.

Source: ABC News July 20, 2017 06:49 UTC