Clashes erupted at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound today, over a dispute to access the place of worship, media reports say.

Mosque director Sheikh Omar Kiswani told Anadolu news agency confrontations were sparked when Israeli police forced open a gate to the compound Sunday morning, to allow tourists and Jewish visitors to enter.

The Palestinian News Network quoted locals as saying Israeli forces fired teargas, sounded grenades and violently arrested Palestinians.

The newswire reported eight Palestinians were injured from rubber bullets and teargas fired by the forces.

It reported the gate is usually closed to visitors during the last ten days of Ramadan.

However, Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld told the Middle East Monitor it is not true that non-Muslims are not allowed to visit the compound in the last 10 days of the holy month.

He said four "masked Palestinians" were arrested for allegedly disrupting the visit by non-Muslims.

The al-Aqsa mosque is a holy site for Muslims and is built on a site referred by the Jews as Temple Mount, in reference to temples in ancient times.