Prominent right wing Jewish activist Yehuda Glick has been shot and seriously wounded while leaving a conference in Jerusalem, police say.

Eyewitnesses said that a man with an Arabic accent shot him at point blank range before fleeing on a motorbike.

Israeli police have since told the BBC that a suspect was located at a house in Jerusalem, and shot dead after an exchange of fire.

Mr Glick is having surgery for gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen.

He was active in a push by Jews to pray at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site.

Mr Glick had just attended a conference at the Menachem Begin Heritage Centre which had discussed Jewish claims to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a holy site which is also venerated by Jews as the Temple Mount.

After the shooting police took the unusual step of closing the holy site to all worshippers and visitors until further notice,

The Al-Aqsa compound is revered by Muslims - it is widely seen as Islam's third holiest site - and is one of the most contentious areas of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Israel argues that it tolerates free prayer to all at the site, but Palestinians claim it is unilaterally taking steps to allow larger numbers of Jewish worshippers.

(BBC)