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JERUSALEM – Palestinians mounted violent protests in Jerusalem on Tuesday and President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy canceled plans to return to the region as a U.S.-Israeli crisis over Jewish settlement plans deepened.
Hundreds of rock-throwing Palestinians clashed with police in several locations in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in a 1967 war along with the West Bank. Police responded with teargas and rubber bullets.
"We have come to throw stones because that's all we have and the situation in Jerusalem is dangerous," one protester said in a confrontation at an Israeli military checkpoint, reminiscent of the early days of a Palestinian uprising that began in 2000.
Medical officials said at least 40 Palestinians were treated in hospitals in the most serious flare-up in the holy city in months. Police said two policemen were hurt.
The violence was another challenge to U.S. efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which were suspended in December 2008 but had looked set to resume in the form of indirect negotiations under U.S. mediation.
Israel angered Palestinians and touched off a feud with Washington by announcing plans, during a visit last week by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, to build 1,600 homes for Jews in a part of the occupied West Bank it annexed to Jerusalem.
The dispute, described by Israel's ambassador to Washington described as a crisis of historic proportions in traditionally close U.S.-Israeli relations, showed no signs of abating.
U.S. envoy George Mitchell canceled plans to return to the region on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not halt construction in what he termed Jerusalem neighborhoods, disputed areas filled with Israeli apartment blocs in and near the city's eastern sectors.
Officials in Washington said they were still waiting for Israel's formal response to demands from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Israeli media reports said Clinton, who termed the announcement of the construction plan an insult, had asked for it to be scrapped and for Israel to agree to discuss core statehood issues with the Palestinians.
"EXPLOSIVE SITUATION"
"There is an explosive situation. There are Netanyahu's policies, which are tantamount to pouring oil on fire," said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.
Hamas, an Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, said in a statement that Palestinians should "regard Tuesday as a day of rage against the occupation's (Israel's) procedures in Jerusalem against al-Aqsa mosque".
Hundreds of rock-throwing Palestinians clashed with police in several locations in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in a 1967 war along with the West Bank. Police responded with teargas and rubber bullets.
"We have come to throw stones because that's all we have and the situation in Jerusalem is dangerous," one protester said in a confrontation at an Israeli military checkpoint, reminiscent of the early days of a Palestinian uprising that began in 2000.
Medical officials said at least 40 Palestinians were treated in hospitals in the most serious flare-up in the holy city in months. Police said two policemen were hurt.
The violence was another challenge to U.S. efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which were suspended in December 2008 but had looked set to resume in the form of indirect negotiations under U.S. mediation.
Israel angered Palestinians and touched off a feud with Washington by announcing plans, during a visit last week by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, to build 1,600 homes for Jews in a part of the occupied West Bank it annexed to Jerusalem.
The dispute, described by Israel's ambassador to Washington described as a crisis of historic proportions in traditionally close U.S.-Israeli relations, showed no signs of abating.
U.S. envoy George Mitchell canceled plans to return to the region on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not halt construction in what he termed Jerusalem neighborhoods, disputed areas filled with Israeli apartment blocs in and near the city's eastern sectors.
Officials in Washington said they were still waiting for Israel's formal response to demands from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Israeli media reports said Clinton, who termed the announcement of the construction plan an insult, had asked for it to be scrapped and for Israel to agree to discuss core statehood issues with the Palestinians.
"EXPLOSIVE SITUATION"
"There is an explosive situation. There are Netanyahu's policies, which are tantamount to pouring oil on fire," said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.
Hamas, an Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, said in a statement that Palestinians should "regard Tuesday as a day of rage against the occupation's (Israel's) procedures in Jerusalem against al-Aqsa mosque".
