LONDON: Israeli forces on Sunday fired stun grenades and tear gas canisters at the Palestinian village of Sur Baher, southeast of Jerusalem, sparking fires in several commercial shops, the Jerusalem Governorate said.

Clashes broke out at the village entrance between Palestinian residents and Israeli soldiers, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported, citing the governorate.

It said that during the confrontation, Israeli forces fired crowd-control munitions that ignited the fires.

Several videos circulated on social media showed first responders working to contain the inferno.

The incident came amid heightened tensions in occupied East Jerusalem, where Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound earlier on Sunday and performed Jewish prayers in its courtyards.

The weekend saw a series of actions by Israeli politicians and settlers ahead of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and Israel’s elections next month.

On Thursday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and others entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during Yom Kippur. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a network of tunnels beneath occupied East Jerusalem on Saturday.

Netanyahu also posted videos and photographs early Sunday on his official Instagram account showing him taking part in Jewish Selichot prayers at the Al-Buraq Wall.