Israel seals off West Bank amid heightened tension
Israel sealed off the West Bank on Friday amid tension in Jerusalem over controversial plans to build new homes for Jewish settlers and fears of fresh violence at Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
The 48-hour closure to run until midnight on Saturday drew harsh criticism, with European Parliament chief Jerzy Buzek saying it was “unhelpful” and would complicate efforts to revive the Middle East peace process.
Israeli police also barred men under the age of 50 from praying at the site of the mosque compound, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews.