Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that the freeze on Israeli contacts will continue unless all the measures implemented after July 14 are removed.

"All new Israeli measures put in place since (July 14) must be removed so things can go back to normal in Jerusalem and we can resume our work regarding bilateral relations," Abbas said at the beginning of a meeting with the Palestinian leadership.

Five Palestinians have been killed in clashes sparked by the new Israeli security measures at the Haram al-Sharif mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

The compound houses the revered Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site, and the Dome of the Rock.

Earlier Tuesday, Israel removed metal detectors and cameras from the entrances to the compound and said it would carry out "security inspections with advanced technologies and other means."

But suspicions over what the new measures would entail resulted in the boycott continuing.

Several hundred worshippers prayed outside the gates in the streets in the summer heat, as they have done since the metal detectors were installed more than a week ago.

"What we want and what we demand is for everything to return how it was before July 14," said Mohammed Hijazi, who came several days ago from Acre in northern Israel to join the protests.

"When that happens we are ready to return to enter the Al-Aqsa mosque to pray to God Almighty."