Zionist Forces Storm Al-Aqsa
"The police went inside and we are prevented from entering," Khadijeh Khweis, a member of the civil group that was banned last week, told Agence France Presse (AFP) amid protests in the Old City.
"They are chasing us with (stun) grenades and it's been like that since the morning. We could only pray in front of the doors (leading to the complex)."
Attacking Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest site, Israeli forces removed dozens of worshippers from the mosque.
A Muslim witness accused police of entering the mosque much further than would have been needed to close the doors and of causing damage, saying prayer mats were partially burned.
Moreover, all men below the age of 50 were prevented from entering the mosque grounds, as they headed there for Sunday morning prayers.
Palestinians responded by throwing stones and fireworks.
An AFP journalist saw a number of people being detained and heavy police deployments in the Old City.
The attack followed a controversial decision by Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon last week to ban the Murabitat and Murabitun civil groups.
Both groups are made up of east Jerusalem Palestinians and Arabs protesting against repeated attacks by Jewish settlers on Al-Aqsa mosque.
The clashes come just hours before the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, with celebrations to continue until Tuesday evening.
Israel occupied the holy city of Al-Quds, the West Bank and Golan Heights in the 1967 war and later annexed them in a move not recognized by the international community or UN resolutions.
Since then, Israel has adopted a series of oppressive measures to force the Palestinians out of Al-Quds, including systematic demolition of their homes and building settlements.
