Israeli police, protesters clash at Al-Aqsa Mosque soon after ceasefire

Protesters have thrown stones and soldiers fired rubber bullets and tear gas amid unrest around Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque today, just hours after Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire, reports DW.

Just hours after an Egypt-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect in Gaza after almost two weeks of fighting, the unrest occurred after Jumma prayers at the mosque compound, said the report.

During the clash, Israeli police hurled stun grenades towards Palestinians who in return threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at officers on standby outside the mosque.

Stun grenades were also fired at a group of Palestinians who were marching through the compound grounds.

Stones were thrown at officers who were at one of the gates on patrol, said Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

"Units responded and entered the Temple Mount area. They are dealing with these disturbances to contain the situation... Police units are at the scene," he said, using the "Jewish Temple Mount" name for the Al-Aqsa Mosque site.

At noon, thousands of Palestinians gathered in the compound surrounding the mosque for Friday prayers. Some then stayed on, cheering and waving Palestinian flags following news of the truce, DW added.

The latest violence in Jerusalem came on the first day of the ceasefire brokered to halt fighting in Gaza.

Friday's ceasefire was still holding as clashes took place at the mosque compound.

The confrontations died down within about an hour, with Israeli police retreating to positions at the compound's gates. There were no rockets fired from Gaza nor Israeli strikes at the densely populated Palestinian enclave, despite the tensions in Jerusalem, added the report.

However, five more bodies were pulled from the rubble on Gaza, taking the death toll to 243 in Palestine.

The key factor in starting the conflict between Hamas and the Israeli military had been clashes between police and protesters at the mosque compound

In the report, it was mentioned that both Palestinian and Israeli sides had warned earlier that the ceasefire would be lifted should the other side not stick to the agreement.

"The decision to resume rocket attacks on Israel remains an option," a spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said on the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television channel.

Soon after the ceasefire took effect, thousands had poured onto streets in the Gaza Strip to celebrate by lighting fireworks, the report concluded.