BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Israel has decided to remove metal detectors from the entrance at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, and replaced them with "smart checks", as countries and international bodies slammed its security measures at the holy site.
In a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Jordanian King Abdullah II urged Israel to remove all security measures at the holy site, restore stability and end tension there.
Israel installed metal detectors and cameras at the entrances to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound following a recent shooting incident in which three Israeli Arab gunmen had shot dead two Israeli policemen at the site before being killed.
Israel has also limited access to the mosque by Palestinian Muslim worshipers in order to prevent further violence.
Israeli measures have angered Palestinians and the Muslim world, which regard them as an attempt by Israel to claim further control over the compound, the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site for Jews.
On Monday, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired a cabinet meeting in Jeddah to discuss topics concerning the escalation of violence in East Jerusalem, calling for the international community to stop Israel's "aggression" in East Jerusalem amid a row over Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The meeting reiterated "the Kingdom's condemnation and denunciation of the measures taken by Israeli authorities at Al-Aqsa Mosque and its closure before worshipers," Minister of Culture and Information Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad said in a statement.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Israel was heading toward isolation because of measures imposed at the holy site, noting "the restrictions at Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel's government are unacceptable."
The steps that ignore Muslims' right to worship and the holiness of Al-Aqsa are intensifying tension in the region, Erdogan said at a press conference at Ankara Esenboga airport after returning from a two-day visit to the Gulf region.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) denounced on Monday Israel's closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and installation of metal detectors at the site.
The closing statement of the OIC emergency meeting on the Al-Aqsa crisis decried all punitive measures enforced by Israel since July 14, particularly the closure of the mosque and ban of prayers, according to Egypt's state news agency MENA.
The French Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concern" over the deadly clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in Jerusalem, calling on both parties to show restraint.
Daily clashes have erupted between Palestinians and Israeli security forces since the installation of detectors, resulting in the death of five Palestinians in the past week.
Israel has taken over control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 war, but the mosque compound has been managed by Jordanian religious authorities supervised by the Jordanian government.
Israel's security cabinet has decided to remove metal detectors from the entrance to the holy site in Jerusalem, following days of violent clashes.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said the security cabinet agreed to incorporate security measures based on advanced technologies and other measures to replace metal detectors in order to ensure the security of visitors and worshippers.
The statement also said that Israeli police will reinforce its units and carry out additional actions as necessary to ensure the security of visitors.
