ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned Israeli attack on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and termed it an “act of terror”.

“Israel has always flouted international law and has violated human rights of Palestinians,” Prime Minister Nawaz sharif said in a statement issued here.

He said that Pakistan is with Palestinians against the state repression of Israel and expects United Nations to take note of it.

In a sign of festering tensions, a Palestinian rammed his car into pedestrians in Jerusalem's city centre earlier in the day, killing an Israeli paramilitary border policeman before he was shot dead by police. More than a dozen people were injured.

The incident occurred after fierce clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at the entranceway to the 8th-century Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third most sacred place.

Palestinian officials said Israeli forces had crossed the threshold of the mosque for the first time since 1967. Israeli police denied going into the house of worship.

Kerry condemns Jerusalem car attack, says it 'only raises tensions'

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the deadly car attack in Jerusalem saying it was a “terrorist act” that “only raises tensions” in the tinderbox region.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with Jordan's foreign minister in Paris, Kerry told reporters: “That is not just a terrorist act and an atrocity, but it only makes matters worse. It only raises tensions.”

“We urge everybody to try to step back and find a way to create enough calm and enough space to be able to negotiate these difficult issues,” he added.

The Jordanian minister, Nasser Judeh, said: “The only way that we can prevent these unilateral measures from continuing to take place is to have a comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israel conflict.”