New Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah visited Al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem on Sunday, in a first for a serving Palestinian premier, the official WAFA news agency reported.

Al-Aqsa, Islam's third holiest site, is built on the site of the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism.

"Jerusalem is a symbol of the Palestinian question," Hamdallah told the agency. "Our visit today shows how important Jerusalem is to the Palestinian government."

WAFA said Hamdallah also met the mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammed Hussein, and visited Al-Maqased hospital in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem.

The new Palestinian government headed by Hamdallah was sworn in on 6 June in Ramallah in the West Bank.