Al-Jazeera.com :Palestinians and Jordanians have urged the UN Security Council to demand that Israel immediately stop provocations and incitement against Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, warning that further escalation could lead to another crisis threatening peace in the Middle East.The warning on Wednesday followed what the Palestinians described as the illegal storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque earlier Wednesday by Israeli extremists protected by more than 300 Israeli security forces, which led to a confrontation with Palestinian worshippers.A Palestinian reportedly angered by the confrontation later drove a minivan into a crowd waiting for a train, killing one person and wounding 13.Hours later, a Palestinian motorist drove into a group of soldiers in the West Bank, injuring three. “There is still a lot of tension and a huge police presence here,” Al Jazeera’s Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from Jerusalem, said.Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said the “actions blatantly intended to assert Israeli control over the compound continue unabated’.’ Mansour said in a letter to the Security Council that stun grenades and rubber-coated bullets were fired early on Wednesday at Palestinian worshippers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, seriously injuring at least 30 people. Jordan’s UN Ambassador Dina Kawar said in a separate letter to the council that Israeli special forces and police prohibited Muslim worshippers from entering and allowed religious and political extremists inside the compound.”This blatant and unlawful use of force against one of the holiest sites on earth for Muslims have resulted in fires breaking out, damage to mosaic works on ceilings and to the structure of the building, burning of the carpets and rugs and damage to other facilities,” she said.Meanwhile, Israel’s UN Ambassador Ron Prosor sent what the Israeli mission called a “sarcastic letter” to the Security Council, listing acts of incitement by the Palestinian leadership, including last month’s drive-by shooting of a Jewish activist who has pushed for greater Jewish access to the sacred hilltop compound.
