by Our Foreign Desk

ISRAEL announced the lifting of some repressive measures against Palestinians yesterday as clashes threatened to escalate into a third intifada.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said an unprecedented ban on non-resident Palestinians entering Jerusalem’s old city, imposed on Sunday, had been lifted “following security assessments” on Tuesday evening.

Another measure banning men under the age of 50 from entering the Al-Aqsa mosque compound to pray was also lifted.

The Jordanian-administered holy site has been at the centre of the recent unrest, with Israeli riot police storming the compound to evict Palestinian protesters barricaded inside.

Meanwhile, two Palestinians were shot, one fatally, after knife attacks on Israelis.

A Palestinian woman stabbed an armed Israeli man, who then shot and wounded her in Jerusalem’s Old City. Both of them were taken to hospital.

Shortly afterwards, police said officers had shot dead a suspect in southern Israel who allegedly stabbed a soldier and stole his weapon.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was photographed yesterday carrying an assault rifle during a visit to an Arab neighbourhood in the Arab east of the city.

Mr Barkat’s office defended his action, claiming that “many terror attacks in Jerusalem have been prevented or neutralised due to the quick actions and response of responsible bystanders.”

Hundreds of Palestinians have been injured in several days of clashes, according to the Red Crescent medical service, including dozens hit by rubber bullets and some by live fire.

Most of the wounded have been treated for tear-gas inhalation.