Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), strongly criticized on Tuesday Israeli police handling of Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem earlier in the day.

Police assaulted guards and staff of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning as hundreds of fanatic Jews provoked the worshippers and employees at the Muslim holy compound.

Erekat said in a tweet that "Israel continues to brazenly violate the universal human rights/ freedoms with its attacks today against Palestinian worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound. A testament to its long record of violations and abuses of all international norms and above all human dignity."

The Muslim Waqf (Endowment) department, which is in charge of Al-Aqsa Mosque, said in statement that Israeli police have been provoking Muslims and the Mosque guards since the morning, stopping them and checking and holding their identity cards.

It said that the heavily armed police who were present in large numbers inside the walled compound attacked the guards and other worshippers to force them to leave an area Jewish fanatics, who were on a provocative tour of the holy compound, wanted to be in.

It said the police violently and brutally attacked the guards and worshippers and forced them to leave the area for the benefit of the Jewish fanatics. Five Palestinians were arrested and four were admitted to hospital for treatment after they were beaten by the police.

The Waqf demanded immediate release of the detained Palestinians and warned that the provocations from the police and Jewish fanatics at the Muslim holy place will not be tolerated.