Israeli raid at Al-Aqsa mosque risks igniting violence, Arab League says

The Arab League on Wednesday strongly condemned an Israeli police raid on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, saying it put regional stability at risk.

In a statement issued after an emergency meeting on the incident, the League condemned what it called "crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against defenceless Muslim worshippers" in the mosque.

The pre-dawn raid risked "igniting a spiral of violence that threatens security and stability in the region and the world", it added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the situation had been caused by "extremists" who barricaded themselves inside the mosque with weapons, stones and fireworks.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit had earlier condemned the raid in a separate statement.

"The extremist approaches that control the policy of the Israeli government will lead to widespread confrontations with the Palestinians if they are not put to an end," he said.