Israeli police on Sunday arrested five people protesting the demolition of a mosque in the Bedouin city of Rahat in southern Israel.

Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said the protestors had thrown rocks at the police, who were providing security for civil authority workers who were taking down the structure.

The mosque had been built without the necessary permission, and was earmarked for demolition under a court order.

According to Rosenfeld, Rahat inhabitants had rejected compromise proposals to build the mosque in another location.

Rahat, with a population of around 42,000 people, is the only Bedouin location in Israel to have city status.