Three Palestinians and two Israeli police officers died in a gunfight Friday morning in one of Al Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards.

Palestinian news agency, Ma’an, reported that three Palestinian citizens of Israel entered the courtyard from one of the northern gates and fired at a group Israeli police officers at point-blank range, killing two officers and injuring another.

The three Palestinians were killed in an ensuing gunfight.

Israeli authorities responded by closing Al Aqsa Mosque, preventing Palestinian worshipers from entering the compound for Friday prayers.

“This is the first time we weren’t allowed to hold Friday prayers in Al Aqsa since 1969,” said the Mufti of Jerusalem who was not allowed access to the mosque.

Fatah, the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority, issued a statement urging Palestinians to head to Al Aqsa and to break the Israeli siege.

Roya’s sources have reported that the Jordanian government is in contact with Israel, urging it to reopen the mosque to allow Friday prayers to take place today.

Al Aqsa is one of Islam’s holiest sites, a sentiment shared by Judaism over the wider compound the mosque belongs to, which has been a main point of contention in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.