Police arrest Arab rioter in Jerusalem during
Police arrest Arab rioter in Jerusalem duringFlash 90

Arabs threw firebombs at the homes of Jews in the neighborhood of Nof Tzion in Jerusalem Thursday evening.

A car was damaged, as was a wall of one of the buildings in the neighborhood. No one was hurt. Police are combing the area for the perpetrators. 

Dozens of Arabs fired fireworks and hurled rocks during the Simchat Torah holiday at Jewish homes in the strategically placed Mount of Olives neighborhood of Maale Hazeitim.

A large police force dispersed the rioters with non-lethal riot dispersal gear. One Border Police officer was injured in the neck. His injuries were described as light to moderate and he required medical attention.

Hundreds of Jews began ascending to the Temple Mount - the holiest site in Judaism - on Wednesday, in honor of Hoshana Rabba, the seventh and final day of Sukkot. However, the police closed off the Mount to visitors at 10:15 a.m., because of Muslim rioting that was led by Arab Knesset members. 

Police said that about 500 people had visited the Temple Mount since 7:30 a.m., of whom 103 were Jews.

After a situation assessment, the Temple Mount was closed off to visits from 10:15 due to “operational considerations.”

The police had decided to restrict the entry of Muslim worshipers to the Temple Mount on Wednesday, due to intelligence information that was received about plans by Arabs to riot at the compound, as they have done several times already in recent days.

The decision was made by the Jerusalem District Commander of the policefollowing an assessment conducted Tuesday evening.

According to the decision, only Arab men over the age of 50 and women of any age were allowed to enter the compound. Police were deployed starting early Wednesday morning in eastern Jerusalem and the Old City to prevent disturbances.

On Monday morning, the Jerusalem Police stormed the Temple Mount and locked Arab rioters inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The police had gathered intelligence about Arab youths who had spent thenight at the Temple Mount compound. The youths had collected rocks and fireworks and prepared firebombs, which they stored inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to use them against police and interfere with non-Muslim visits to the Mount.