Four Palestinians were arrested and three police were wounded in the confrontation, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.

Police used stun grenades as a crowd of about 400 people gathered near the entrance to the mosque.

For the second time in a week, authorities restricted access to the esplanade Wednesday, allowing only Palestinians aged over 50 to enter.

The violence was the latest in a series of face-offs between Palestinians and Israeli police in the old city of Jerusalem.

On Monday, demonstrators angered by Israelis’ being granted access to the Al-Aqsa compound, Islam’s third holiest site, clashed with security officers after morning prayers.

The site is the scene of frequent tensions and houses Islamic holy sites the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque. It is revered by Jews as the location of the biblical Jewish temple, considered Judaism’s holiest place.