Palestinians, Israel police clash at Jerusalem Old City gate

Clashes have broken out between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces as Israeli demonstrators march through the Old City of Jerusalem to mark the 50th anniversary of Israel’s capture of the city’s eastern half.

Several dozen young Israeli men, some holding Israeli flags, were marching through the Old City’s Damascus Gate on their way to the Western Wall on Wednesday when they encountered a group of Palestinian protesters.

Israeli forces moved in, and clashes ensued with the Palestinian protesters. No injuries were reported.

Earlier Wednesday, police arrested two Islamic Waqf guards who allegedly assaulted a group of Israelis who entered a contested Jerusalem shrine.

The al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem, which was taken by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally, has long been a flashpoint in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

East Jerusalem, where the most important Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religious sites are located, is considered occupied Palestinian territory under international law.

A UNESCO document in May criticised Israel for its increased "annexation" of Jerusalem, adding that contruction by settler communities was "illegal under international law".