Mosque Closure A 'Declaration Of War' - Abbas

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the closure of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque as a "declaration of war".

The mosque, in the Al-Aqsa complex which contains sites holy to Muslims and Jews, was closed by Israel following the shooting of a Jewish activist.

Speaking hours after the closure, Mr Abbas said: "This dangerous Israeli escalation is a declaration of war on the Palestinian people and its sacred places and on the Arab and Islamic nation.

"We hold the Israeli government responsible for this dangerous escalation in Jerusalem that has reached its peak through the closure of the Al-Aqsa mosque this morning.

Protesters throw fireworks at police in east Jerusalem

"This decision is a dangerous act and a blatant challenge that will lead to more tension and instability and will create a negative and dangerous atmosphere.

"The state of Palestine will take all legal measures to hold Israel accountable and to stop these ongoing attacks."

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1. Gallery: Jerusalem Unrest Sparks Fears Of New Uprising

   Israeli security forces have clashed with Palestinian youths in Jerusalem

2. The unrest comes after Israeli police killed Muataz Hijazi, who was suspected of shooting Israeli right-wing activist Yehuda Glick

3. The assassination attempt led to the closure of the Al-Aqsa mosque, which Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas branded a "declaration of war"

4. Palestinian protesters lit fires and threw stones

5. Israeli police fired tear gas and rubber bullets

6. The latest unrest has sparked fears of a new Palestinian uprising

7. The family of the 32-year-old Palestinian suspect shot dead by the Israelis mourn his death

8. A Palestinian woman gestures towards an Israeli policeman

9. Click through for more pictures

Minutes after the comments, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a hike in police numbers.

He said: "I have ordered a significant increase in forces as well as in means (available to them) so we can both ensure security in Jerusalem and also maintain the status quo in the holy places."

American-born activist Yehuda Glick was in a serious condition in hospital after being shot by a gunman on a motorbike as he left a conference, in an incident that has seen tensions rise in Jerusalem.

He is a well-known ultranationalist and advocate of greater Jewish prayer access at the Al-Aqsa complex.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police surrounded the home of a man suspected of the shooting on Thursday. The suspect, identified as Muataz Hijazi, 32, then opened fire before police shot back and killed him.

Sky News Middle East reporter Tom Rayner said: "This is a very explosive situation and there will be great concern about whether or not the security forces here can keep a lid on this."

Video: Violence In Jerusalem Over Mosque

He said the closure at Al-Aqsa was the first in 14 years, adding: "It sits right at the heart not just of arguments and conflict in Jerusalem but at the very heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict altogether because sovereignty of that area defines what could be a two-state solution.

"Any attempts to block off access to that holy site are inevitably read as attempts to take sovereignty over the wider area of Jerusalem. That is why it is such an explosive issue when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole."

Meanwhile, Sweden has become the first Western member of the European Union to recognise the state of Palestine.

The new left-leaning government's move reflects growing international impatience with Israel's nearly half-century control of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said: "There is a territory, a people and government."

It comes after British MPs voted 274-12 in favour of recognising the Palestinian state, although the ballot was not binding and the government has refused to act in line with the vote.

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