Scuffles broke out at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday after guards at the mosque refused to allow an Israeli policeman to enter for a routine security check because he was wearing a Jewish skullcap known as a kippah, a Palestinian official said.

Firas Dibs, a spokesman for the Islamic authority that oversees the site, says dozens of worshippers scuffled with police after the guards closed the doors to the mosque and barricaded themselves inside. He says the director of the mosque was lightly wounded.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police “prevented any disturbances from taking place” after local residents closed the doors of the mosque and prevented officers from entering. He said the doors were opened a few hours later and that police detained five people for questioning.

Dibs said police carry out routine security checks every morning, and that the policeman was only prevented from entering because he was wearing a kippah. The Palestinians have long feared that Israel plans to take over the site so it can rebuild the Temple, allegations denied by the Israeli government, which says it has no plans to change the status quo.

A large number of Israeli occupation officers are besieging the Dome of the Rock mosque in #Jerusalem on Monday morning and are stationed at its gates. #Palestinian officials say police severely beat Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, head of the Al-Aqsa mosque. #Alaqsa pic.twitter.com/l9CqiFZWt1

— THE TIMES OF PALESTINE (@PALNEWSNOW) January 14, 2019

Just been sent this video, the zionists have entered the Al Aqsa compound and have blocked the entrance to the dome of the rock, their goal is to make a temple in its place, the zionists have weapons but just look at the palestinians trying to protect Aqsa subhanAllah 1/2 pic.twitter.com/uTkUieKAGn

— Ammaarah (@Amziid_97) January 14, 2019

#Israeli police withdrew and the closure of the Dome of the Rock ended. #Jerusalem #Palestine #Israel #Alaqsa #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/KDqN0ymlLE

— THE TIMES OF PALESTINE (@PALNEWSNOW) January 14, 2019

"لن نصلي الا في مسجد قبة الصخرة المشرفة" .. #شاهد ماذا قال الشيخ واصف البكري، القائم بأعمال قاضي القضاة. pic.twitter.com/iM2PvfTHnT

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 14, 2019

#شاهد.. المصلون في المسجد الأقصى يتمكنون من كسر حصار قوات الاحتلال لمسجد قبة الصخرة.

تصوير: محمد قاروط ادكيدك pic.twitter.com/5E0GwoPUry

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 14, 2019

#شاهد.. الفلسطينييون يكسرون حصار قوات الاحتلال عن مسجد قبة الصخرة ويدخلون لصلاة العصر فيه. pic.twitter.com/u4pYDFlRqr

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 14, 2019

#شاهد..⁧ لحظة اعتقال أربعة من حراس المسجد الأقصى المبارك مساء اليوم. pic.twitter.com/NtpVIzsxFF

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 14, 2019

#صور من الحصار الذي فرضته قوات الاحتلال على مسجد قبة الصخرة المشرفة اليوم pic.twitter.com/7puXj9mSgL

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 14, 2019

(AP)