Israeli court releases Palestinian official on bail

An Israeli court on Tuesday ordered the release-on-bail of Firas al-Dibs, a spokesman for Jerusalem's Jordan-run Religious Endowments Authority, a source close to the issue said.

According to the same source, the court has also temporarily banned an Israeli police officer -- who has reportedly lodged a lawsuit against al-Dibs -- from approaching East Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.

Al-Dibs was arrested in Jerusalem on Monday by Israeli officers before being sent to the Al-Muskubiya detention center, according to Palestinian sources who spoke to Anadolu Agency anonymously due to security concerns.

The Israeli authorities, for their part, have yet to issue any official statements regarding al-Dibs's detention.