Palestinian medical sources reported that most of those injured in Jerusalem today were hit with rubber-coated-steel bullets. Troops also used tear gas and sound bombs to suppress the protests today.

The clashes took place after fundamental settler groups opened on Monday a synagogue near the Al Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem. Tension was high in Jerusalem as Israeli announced 50, 000 settlers’ homes in the city last week.

Last Friday Israeli announced a lockdown around the West Bank and Jerusalem; which means closing the city of Jerusalem in front of the few Palestinians from the West Bank who has permission to enter it.

At Jerusalem’s old city police stopped all Palestinians under the age of 50 from entering the old city.

The Clashes today were consternated at Al Essawyiah, a Palestinian town near Jerusalem’s old city. Clashes took place all over the city early on Tuesday morning.

At Tuesday midday, clashes intensified at the Qalndiya military checkpoint separating the central West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem. Local sources reported two injuries.

U.S. envoy George Mitchell cancels his visit to Israel amidst U.S-Israeli diplomatic crisis

The U.S Embassy in Tel Aviv informed Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu that U.S. special peace envoy George Mitchell has cancelled his visit to the region.

Mitchell was planning to meet Israeli officials to get their response about the government policy on the issue of settlements. Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that settlement construction will continue in Jerusalem.

Political analysts say the trip was canceled due to growing anger by the Obama administration on Israeli continued settlement construction in East Jerusalem.

The crises began last week when Israel announced 50, 000 news settlers homes to built in East Jerusalem.

The new settlement construction announcement came during a visit by the U.S vice president, Joe Biden, to the region last week in an attempt to wrap up the latest diplomatic efforts to jumpstart stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

The Palestinian Authority reaffirmed its position that there will be no direct or indirect talks with Israel as long as settlement construction continues.

Currently, there are 500,000 Israeli settlers living in West Bank settlements, with 20,000 of those living in Jerusalem settlements. Under international law all Israeli settlements in the West Bank including Jerusalem are illegal.

IMEMC