JERUSALEM: Weekly Friday prayers at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque passed without incident despite high tensions in the Holy City, but there were incidents of violence in the West Bank city of Hebron.

After Israeli authorities dropped age restrictions for attending Friday prayers for the second week running, tens of thousands of people made their way to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in occupied Arab east Jerusalem.

Police were out in force to prevent a repeat of clashes, led by young Palestinians.

“The police are on stand-by in different areas to respond if necessary to any disturbances... There are extra units in and around the Old City,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.

Men and women of all ages shuffled into the compound, holy to both Jews and Muslims, as police carefully checked the identity cards of younger worshippers. Al-Aqsa mosque director Amr Kaswani said up to 40,000 Muslims prayed.

The Palestinians have been infuriated by a far-right Jewish campaign for prayer rights at the compound that threatens an ultra-sensitive, decades-old status quo under which Jews can visit but not pray.

Earlier this month, Palestinians hurled rocks and firecrackers at police who entered the compound and the Al-Aqsa mosque itself.

Police had tried to preempt unrest by limiting male entry to those over 35. But Israel eased the restrictions last week after US Secretary of State John Kerry announced an agreement on steps to reduce tensions.

Wasel Qassem, 35, said lifting the age bar might gradually help calm tempers. “Restrictions were the main cause” of tension, said the radiotherapist, who was able to pray at the site for the first time in several weeks.

The compound, known in Arabic as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, is the third-holiest place in Islam. It is the holiest site for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount.

Although Israel controls entry to the site in the heart of the Old City, Jerusalem’s Muslim authorities administer it, while Jordan acts as custodian.

In the southern West Bank city of Hebron hundreds of Palestinians heeded a call from Hamas for a “day of rage” in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

A military spokeswoman said 350 rioters threw stones outside a mosque and “were being dispersed by non-lethal means.”

She said no arrests were made.