CBNNews.com -- JERUSALEM -- A news conference to be held by Muslim and Catholic protesters of Israel's construction work near the Temple Mount was cancelled by Israeli police on Wednesday because it was arranged by the militant Hamas group.

East Jerusalem's Commodore Hotel was visited by Israeli police to relay the message that the planned news conference would be banned, as it was learned that the Palestinian Hamas group had organized the event, according to police spokesman Shmuel ben-Ruby.

All activities planned by the terrorist Islamic group are prohibited from taking place in Israel, due to obvious security issues.

The Israeli renovation project was to be condemned by Israel's Islamic Movement's leader, the mufti of Jerusalem, along with a local Roman Orthodox archbishop at the news conference.

For more than two months, the Islamic Movement leader, Raed Salah has been prohibited from coming near the area, yet he has arranged a number of protests at the site regardless.

The Temple Mount, called the Noble Sanctuary by Muslims, has been the focus of much debate and strife between Israelis and Palestinians, who have bypassed peace accords over the disputed holy site.

Muslims have made baseless claims that Israel intends on damaging their third-holiest site, the Dome of the Rock, through the excavation project. Their Al Aqsa mosque also rests on the contended site.

It has been stressed publicly for some time that Israel will not harm the Islamic structures in any way.

Archaeological finds are hoped to be recovered through the excavation project before a new pedestrian walkway to the Temple Mount is built to replace the old one that was damaged in 2004 during a snowstorm.

Source: The Associated Press