Jerusalem – Ma'an – Palestinians protesters clashed with Israeli forces near Lions' Gate in East Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday morning.

No injuries were immediately reported, although at least 40 people were hurt when fierce confrontations erupted there last week.

A standoff began around midnight on Sunday morning when Israeli forces attempted to evacuate and detain about 200 Muslim worshippers holed up in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Helicopters were spotted flying overhead the mosque, which was soon under lockdown as a large contingent of Israeli forces deployed in the Old City and police began demanding that Palestinians at the compound hand themselves over in exchange for opening the mosque's gates, which were sealed overnight.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the area was closed "to Muslim visitors and worshipers" over what the English-language newspaper called security concerns related to Islamic leaders' prior calls for Palestinians to "come and protect" the mosque, including on printed flyers posted around town.

At dawn, police arrested Hatem Abdul Qader, the former Palestinian Authority minister of Jerusalem affairs, along with three worshippers. Police denied Azzam Al-Khatib, director of the Jerusalem endowment department, entry to the mosque.

Abdul Qader was later released on 10,000 Israeli shekels (2,650 US dollars) bail and the condition that he remain 250 meters away from the Old City for the next 15 days.

Meanwhile, religious settlers gathered near the Moroccan Gate, while Israeli sources were said to have informed local officials that police planned to allow settlers access to the compound in groups. For his part, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein warned of the potential for repercussions if the settlers were to enter.

On Friday, Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement inside Israel, said religious groups may break into the compound during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. He called on Muslims to be present at the compound throughout the week, he said in a statement widely circulated by the Al-Aqsa Foundation.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is located at the Haram Ash-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, in occupied East Jerusalem. Israel's army handed nominal control of the area to the Waqf in 1967, but the mosque has periodically come under attack by extremists since then. The most notable assault was in 1969, when a Christian Zionist from Australia set it ablaze in an attempt to herald the second coming of Christ.

Believed by Muslims to be the location where the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven during his Night Journey, Al-Aqsa is the third holiest site in Islam. The compound, with the golden Dome of the Rock, is also a focal point of Palestinian national pride.

The Haram Ash-Sharif sits atop what Israelis refer to as the Temple Mount, where the Jewish First and Second Temples were thought to have stood. The location is especially sensitive because some religious extremists seek the mosque's demolition in order to construct a "Third Temple."