Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says the Palestinian leadership will freeze all contact with Israel as mass protests over new Israeli security measures rage at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

At least three Palestinians were killed and hundreds more injured on Friday.

In the first incident, an Israeli settler killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man in the Ras al-Amud neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The death of Muhamd Mahmoud Sahraf was confirmed by Israeli security and the Red Crescent.

A second Palestinian was also confirmed killed by live fire during the demonstrations that followed Friday prayers, officials at a hospital in Jerusalem told AP news agency.

The Palestinian Authority also reported that a third man was killed during clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank.

The two other fatalities were identified as Muhamad Mahmoud Khalaf and Muhamad Hasan Abu Ghanam.

Israeli police also fired live ammunition, tear gas and rubber-coated bullets at Palestinians protesting against the new measures, including the barring of Muslim men under the age of 50 from the holy site and the installation of metal detectors.

The protests come a week after a deadly shoot-out at the occupied East Jerusalem compound, which triggered tensions.

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