The United Nations cultural heritage body UNESCO condemned ‘Israel’ on Wednesday for limiting Muslim access to Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint in a recent wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

The United Nations cultural heritage body UNESCO condemned ‘Israel’ on Wednesday for limiting Muslim access to Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint in a recent wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

The resolution approved by UNESCO's executive board dropped a controversial clause from the original draft that laid claim to Jerusalem's Western Wall as a space reserved for Muslims, Israeli diplomats said.

In its place, the resolution adopted on Wednesday said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization condemned restrictions of freedom of worship at the al-Aqsa mosque and reiterated other complaints about Israeli management of disputed holy sites.

UNESCO did not immediately provide a copy of the resolution adopted following protracted negotiations but Palestinian and Israeli diplomats gave matching accounts to reporters.