Last week, tens of thousands of Jewish nationalists, some chanting slogans, marched through Jerusalem’s Old City, sparking clashes between Israelis and Palestinians…reports Asian Lite News
The UAE has strongly condemned the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque courtyard by extremist settlers under the protection of Israeli forces.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) reiterated its firm position on the need to provide full protection for Al Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there.
Furthermore, the Ministry underscored the need to respect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the holy sites and endowments in accordance with international law and the historical situation at hand, and not to compromise the authority of the Jerusalem Endowment Administration and Al Aqsa Mosque.
The Ministry called upon Israeli authorities to take responsibility for reducing escalation and ending all attacks and practices that lead to the continuation of tensions, while underscoring the need to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further instability.
Moreover, the Ministry stressed the need to support all regional and international efforts to advance the Middle East Peace Process and end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Last week, tens of thousands of Jewish nationalists, some chanting slogans, marched through Jerusalem’s Old City, sparking clashes between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news estimated that nearly 50,000 people, mostly nationalist Israeli youths, attended the contentious annual “flag march” to mark the “Jerusalem Day”, when Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967.
The march started in the western part of the city and continued through the narrow Palestinian streets of the Old City’s Damascus Gate until reaching the Western Wall, just below the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a holy flashpoint site for both Muslims and Jews, Xinhua news agency reported.
Video footage on social media showed scores of young Israelis were waving Israel’s national flags, some of them chanting “Death to Arabs,” “We’ll burn down your village” and “Shuafat is on fire,” referring to the name of the Palestinian neighbourhood from which 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir was kidnapped and burnt alive by far-right Israelis in 2014. Many also violently banged doors of Palestinian shops and homes.
Clashes broke out during the marches, with footage and photos showing Israelis spraying pepper gas and beating Palestinians, while the Palestinians throwing bottles of water and chairs at the other side.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said in a statement that at least 62 Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated bullets, beatings and pepper gas.
ALSO READ-Yemen’s Presidential Council to restructure pro-govt army