Israeli army clashes with shrine protesters

Rachel's Tomb is a place of pilgrimage for Jewish women who have been unable to get pregnant. Palestinians call the site the Bilal ibn Rabah mosque and claim is that it was built at the time of the Arab conquest.

Palestinian new agency reports said that the point of the restoration plan was to “steal Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, Hebron and Palestinian cities to change their Arab and Islamic character to prove the country is Jewish.”

The Israeli government has denied their will be any attempt to ban or restrict Muslims from visiting the sites.

The West Bank barrier runs into Bethlehem and Rachel’s Tomb is currently located on the Israeli side.

But Palestinians argue that the decision by the Israelis is part of a deeper principle to ensure the sites remain Jewish.