Ramadan prayers end in Kalandiya riots

Some 100 young Palestinians rioted at the Kalandiya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, on Friday, shortly after the first communal prayers of Ramadan.

The Palestinians hurled stones at IDF troops and border policemen deployed in area, prompting the security forces to take crowd control measures. No casualties were reported.

Simultaneously, there were two disturbances near the security fence, near Ramallah. Some 150 Palestinians gathered for the routine anti-fence protest in Ni'lin, in which, as usual, security forces were pelted with stones, and a similar but smaller demonstration was held in Bi'lin.

Meanwhile, near the village of Yata, south of Hebron, an Israeli vehicle was damaged when it was struck by stones thrown by Palestinians. No one was wounded.

Also on Friday, around 90,000 Muslims congregated on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for prayers, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. He said "thousands" of policemen were deployed around the city to prevent any disturbances.

Citing security concerns, police restricted the entry of Palestinians, banning men under 45 and requiring many women to produce valid entry permits. In the past, some Friday services at the site have ended in riots. No disturbances were reported in the area this time.