Rioters sound rocket alert siren from Temple Mount mosque speakers

Several rioters barricaded themselves in a mosque on the Temple Mount, before playing a recording of the rocket alert siren.

 An Israeli security officer looks on at Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount in Jerusalem (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
An Israeli security officer looks on at Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount in Jerusalem
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Several Palestinians barricaded themselves in a mosque on the Temple Mount on Tuesday morning, sounding the rocket alert siren on the minaret loudspeakers, according to Army Radio. 

Hamas responded to the riots in an official statement to the Shihab news agency, saying that "the mosque will remain in the hands of Islam. The Zionist dreams will be shattered.  The Zionist occupier has no place there."

According to Palestinian media, the leader of the Northern Islamic Movement Sheikh Raed Salah reportedly went to the Temple Mount on Tuesday morning.

This comes less than one week after a group barricaded themselves inside the al-Aqsa Mosque following the Friday morning prayer, and threw stones at Israeli police officers. During the hours that followed, more than 470 rioters were arrested, and, according to the Red Crescent 150 Palestinians were injured in addition to eight Israel Police officers. 

The detention of 20 suspects arrested by police in riots on Sunday in the Old City of Jerusalem was officially extended on Tuesday morning. 

Some of those detained allegedly intentionally caused buses to slow down making it easier for others to throw stones at them. Others were accused of actually throwing stones at buses, and throwing stones and fireworks onto police officers and civilians from rooftops in the Old City. Still more were accused of attacking worshippers marching through the Old City.