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Sunday, 11 February 2007, 14:55 GMT

Israel to continue holy site work

The Israeli cabinet has ordered controversial construction work near a Jerusalem holy site to continue.

Violence flared last week over digging work near the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site.

The compound containing the mosque is also revered by Jews as the site of their biblical temples.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the work was essential to repair a dangerous structure and would not affect the mosque compound in any way.

Earlier, the Arab League described the work as a criminal attack on a holy site and asked the United Nations to intervene.

Dozens of people were hurt on Friday when police moved in to quell violent protests against excavation work at the contested site.

On Sunday, 2,000 police were out on the streets braced for a third straight day of demonstrations.

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""Work will continue because it is a question of fixing a dangerous situation,"" Mr Olmert said at his weekly cabinet meeting, according to army radio.

""The building site is not on the mosque compound and does not offend the sensitivities of Muslims.""

The excavations, which began on Tuesday, are a prelude to the construction of a new walkway leading to the compound.

Israeli authorities say the work is needed after a centuries-old walkway partially collapsed in 2004.

The compound, in the Old City in East Jerusalem - an area captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war - has regularly been a flashpoint for violence.

In 1996, Israel's opening of an exit to a tunnel near the site triggered riots in which 80 people died in clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops.

And in 2000, the Palestinian uprising began at the mosque following a controversial tour of the site by Israel's then opposition leader, Ariel Sharon.





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