Grand Mufti of Jerusalem freed from Israeli custody

Jerusalem's top Islamic cleric was released on Friday after being detained by Israeli police following an attack at a sensitive holy site that killed two police officers.

In a brief telephone conversation, the grand mufti of Jerusalem Mohammed Ahmad Hussein confirmed he had been released, but provided no other details.

His son said he was released without charge after being questioned over his call for Muslims to come to Jerusalem.

Israel called in a top Palestinian cleric from the al-Aqsa mosque for questioning on Friday afternoon, following a spike in violence in Jerusalem that saw Friday prayers at Islam's third holiest site cancelled for the first time in 17 years.

According to the cleric's son, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein was taken to an Israeli police station in Jerusalem's old city following the killing of two Israeli soldiers at the entrance to the mosque's compound.

Police say the assailants used a knife, a pistol and two homemade machine guns.