Palestinian, Israeli security official killed in rising violence

A Palestinian man has been killed by Israeli forces in the north of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Yahya Udvan, 27 years old, was shot in the chest during an Israeli army operation in the town of Azzun, the ministry said in a statement on early Saturday.

Separately, assailants shot and killed a security guard at the entrance of a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank late on Friday, the Israeli military said.

Killings could further fuel Israeli-Palestinian tensions that have soared in the past two months.

The Israeli military said early on Saturday that the attackers arrived at Ariel settlement entrance and shot the guard in his post before fleeing the scene. The military launched a pursuit of the suspects in the occupied West Bank.

READ MORE: New Israeli raid at Al Aqsa compound, dozens of Palestinians injured

Tensions running high

Tensions increased this month at a major occupied Jerusalem holy site, as Israeli forces have been harassing Palestinian worshippers in daily raids at the Islamic holy site.

The site contains Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, and increasing numbers of Palestinians go there to pray during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Earlier on Friday, Palestinians hurled stones in response to Israeli security forces as the police fired rubber-coated bullets at the site, which has seen a wave of unrest in recent weeks.

The police say Palestinians inside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound began hurling stones and fireworks around dawn in the direction of a heavily guarded gate that leads to the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.

The police advanced into the compound, firing rubber-coated bullets.

The violence ended around an hour later after other Palestinians in the compound intervened, convincing the stone throwers and the police to pull back.

READ MORE: UN experts: Palestinians subjected to 'racial segregation' in E Jerusalem

Israel 'prevents' first responders

The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said more than 40 people were wounded, with 22 requiring treatment at local hospitals. It said Israeli forces prevented first responders from entering the compound during the violence, and that one of its medics was beaten by police.

The police did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but said in a statement they had arrested three people.

The Al Aqsa Mosque compound is built on a hilltop that is the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount because it was the location of the Jewish temples in antiquity. 

It has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

READ MORE: Israeli forces kill Palestinian in occupied West Bank, injure others