Police and Border Police officers were attacked on Friday by Palestinians throwing stones after Friday prayers in the Old City.

The clashes occurred near the Mughrabi Gate, the main entrance into the Temple Mount compound.

Police asked the Islamic Waqf, the religious authority entrusted with overseeing religious activities at the Temple Mount, to help restore calm. According to Channel 2, police officers warned Waqf officials that if they failed to do so, Israeli forces would enter the compound to enforce order.

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“The dialogue was effective, peace and quiet were restored for the benefit of all worshipers and visitors,” a statement by police issued late Friday afternoon said.

Eight people were arrested and some 30 others questioned after the riots ended.

Police “were investing great efforts in preserving the status quo and the public safety in the Temple Mount. Any attempt to disturb the peace or to hurt police officers or civilians will be met with a swift, resolute and uncompromising response from police officers. The long arm of the police will find every rioter and rock thrower and work to remove them from the premises and bring them to justice,” the police statement continued.

Police deployed in large numbers in the Old City during the Passover holiday. Friday brought even more men and women in uniform to the site as Orthodox Christians were commemorating Good Friday.

On Tuesday, several Jews bowed down inside the Temple Mount compound, violating a police ban on non-Muslim worship at the site. The many officers on site rushed to create space between the Jews and Arab worshipers and Waqf members who had tried to beat them and hit them with sticks.

Over the past few days police have on several instances arrested activists from a radical Jewish movement that seeks to restore Jewish worship — including animal sacrifices — to the site where Jews believe the ancient Jewish Temple once stood.