A Palestinian official said Tuesday that Israel's violations of Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque, which is under Jordan's administration, are meant to exclude the holy shrine from the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

"It is crystal clear that these actions aim to dismiss the question of the holy site in the ongoing peace talks," Ahmed al- Rwaidi, adviser to the Palestinian president on Jerusalem affairs, told Xinhua.

Earlier Tuesday, violent clashes erupted at the mosque between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli guards after the latter let in Jewish visitors.

Rwaidi warned such violations would lead to a fierce religious war in the region.

The clashes coincided with a debate in the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, on a bill introduced by a right-wing lawmaker to impose Israeli sovereignty over the mosque.

While the site is the third holiest for Muslims, it is also considered the holiest by Jews, who referred to it as "Temple Mount," as it embraced two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Frequent visits by Israelis to the site anger Palestinian Muslims and often lead to violent clashes.

Controversies over the mosque have sparked violent clashes in the past. A visit to the compound by Israeli leader Ariel Sharon in 2000 was widely seen as a trigger for the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, which engulfed Israel and the Palestinian territories in deadly violence for years.

Jerusalem and its religious status are among the most disputed issues in the peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

The city is claimed by both Palestinians and Israelis as the capital of their nations.