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© Reuters/Ammar Awad
Israeli police fire stun grenades

As Palestinians point out they have been living in the area for generations, the Jewish settler organization Lahav Shomron and the deputy Jerusalem mayor, Aryeh King, claim that the land in question "rightfully" belongs to Jews.​

According to Israeli police, six officers were injured during the altercations in Jerusalem. Later in the day, Times of Israel reported that at least 17 police officers were hurt and "around half of those" hospitalized.

"At the end of the prayer on the Temple Mount, thousands of worshipers began to disturb the order, throwing stones and firing fireworks. Israeli police forces are operating at the scene and so far six policemen have been injured in the disturbances. The district commander is in the arena assessing the situation and has ordered the continued increased alertness towards the end of the prayers."

​​​The Temple Mount altercations prompted swift reaction from many, with the US voicing its concern over the situation in Jerusalem and calling for deescalation, and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu condemning what he described as the "Israeli attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque".

Statements followed from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, with both entities echoing a condemnation of the attack and pledging consequences. Statement from Hamas:

"The Chief of Staff of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades Mohammed Deif salutes Palestinian citizens of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in occupied Jerusalem for standing steadfast. The Chief of Staff is sending a clear and last warning to the Israeli occupation and settlers that if they did not immediately cease their aggression against our people in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, we will not sit on our hands and will make them pay a heavy price."

Amid the tensions heating up in Jerusalem, reports emerged in Israeli media claiming that several "Palestinian gunmen" headed to Jerusalem to carry out a terror attack. According to the Times of Israel, citing Israeli TV, three Palestinian assailants booked a tour that included Jerusalem and were on their way to the city at the time of a "shootout" in which two gunmen were killed and one was "critically injured".

The Quartet of envoys from the European Union, Russia, US and the United Nations expressed "deep concern" over the violence. "We call upon Israeli authorities to exercise restraint," they wrote.

The US State Department said it was "extremely concerned" and urged both sides to "avoid steps that exacerbate tensions or take us farther away from peace. This includes evictions in east Jerusalem, settlement activity, home demolitions and acts of terrorism."

The European Union called on the authorities "to act urgently to de-escalate the current tensions", saying "violence and incitement are unacceptable and the perpetrators on all sides must be held accountable".

Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said he held the Israeli government responsible for the unrest and voiced "full support for our heroes in al-Aqsa".

Yair Lapid, an Israeli politician, backed the police. "The state of Israel will not let violence run loose and definitely will not allow terror groups to threaten it," he tweeted.

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, denounced Israel as a "cruel terrorist state" in a speech in Ankara on Saturday, calling on the UNto intervene to "stop the persecution".

Jordan condemned Israel's "barbaric attack" and Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, Pakistan and Qatar were among Muslim countries that criticised Israeli forces for the confrontation.

Israel also drew criticism from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, two countries that signed normalisation accords with the Jewish state last year.

Iran called on the UN to condemn the Israeli police actions, calling the actions of Israeli police a "war crime".

Pope Francis during his Sunday address expressed concerns about the ongoing clashes in East Jerusalem that led to the injuries of around 300 Palestinians, calling for the violence to stop. As cited by the Holy See, the pontiff said:

"With particular concern I am following the events that are happening in Jerusalem. I pray that it may be a place of encounter and not of violent clashes, a place of prayer and peace. I invite everyone to seek shared solutions so that the multireligious and multicultural identity of the Holy City is respected and brotherhood prevails. Violence begets violence. Enough with the clashes,"

The international community has condemned the escalation of violence in East Jerusalem and urged the sides to show restraint. Palestine requested a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the situation, while the Arab League called an extraordinary meeting for Monday.

Israeli police tweeted that they had enhanced security, noting that, while the right to protest will be "preserved", riots would be addressed with "zero tolerance".

"The commissioner instructed the commanders, with an emphasis on the sectors of Jerusalem, to increase forces in preparation for 'Night of Qadr' and another series of events expected in the city in the coming days."

In videos shared on social media, demonstrators can be seen chanting slogans - according to media reports, calling to "strike in Tel Aviv" and "redeem al-Aqsa" - and lighting fires.