24 wounded in clashes at al-Aqsa Mosque

At least 24 people have been wounded when clashes erupted between Israeli police and Palestinians in al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied Jerusalem.

The clashes erupted on Sunday during a visit by a Jewish group to the site, also known to Jews as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, Haaretz reported.

Fifteen Palestinian youths and nine policemen were wounded in the clashes.

Following the riots, the police arrested eight Palestinians and prevented worshipers from entering the compound.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the violence.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it. The status of the city is among the thorny issues of the peace process with the Palestinians reiterating that any Palestinian state should include the city as its capital.