Israel is attempting to punish Palestine after President Mahmoud Abbas froze security coordination with the country following the installation of metal detectors at a holy site in Jerusalem, Palestinian officials told Haaretz Wednesday.

Israel removed the barriers at Temple Mount on July 25, but Abbas the same day said he wouldn't budge until "all the new Israeli measures on the ground from [July 14] to the present … disappear."

"Then things will return to normal in Jerusalem and we will continue our work after that in relation to bilateral relations between us and them," he said.

The reaction from Israel has been aggressive, according to sources who spoke with Haaretz. Israeli forces on Wednesday detained Palestinian inspectors who were working out of an office in South Hebron, shut down their office and confiscated documents.

The main crossing path used by Palestinian officials to enter Ramallah was also shut down by Israel, which was clearly understood as "a punitive measure," a Palestinian official told Haaretz.

"And it is likely we will see more of this incidents in the future, [with Israel] claiming it has to do with the lack of coordination," the person said.

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