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UAE Strongly Condemns Ongoing Storming of Al-Aqsa

The Ministry underscored the need to protect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the holy sites in accordance with international law….reports Asian Lite News

The UAE has strongly condemned the ongoing storming of Al-Aqsa mosque courtyard by settlers under the protection of the Israeli police.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), reaffirmed the UAE’s firm position on the need to provide full protection for Al-Aqsa Mosque, and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there.

The Ministry underscored the need to protect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the holy sites in accordance with international law and the historical context at hand, and not to

compromise the authority of the Jerusalem Endowment Administration that manages the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Ministry called upon Israeli authorities to halt escalation and avoid exacerbating tension and instability in the region, affirming the UAE’s rejection of all practices that violate resolutions on international legitimacy and threaten further escalation.

Moreover, the Ministry stressed the need to support all regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East, end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Syria Terrorist Attack Condemned

The UAE has strongly condemned the terrorist attack that targeted a military college in Homs, in central Syria, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts, and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aiming at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles.

The Ministry expressed its sincere ‏condolences and sympathy to the government and people of the Syrian Arab Republic, ‏and to the families of the victims of this heinous crime, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.

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Saudi Condemns Provocations at Al-Aqsa

The OC also strongly condemned the escalating crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, which resulted in the “killing of two young Palestinians and destroying the infrastructure at the Nur Shams camp for refugees in Tulkarm.”…reports Asian Lite News

Saudi Arabia has condemned the recurrence of provocative practices carried out by a “group of extremists” against Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed the Kingdom’s regret over the “Israeli occupation authorities’” practices that undermine international peace efforts and contradict international principles and norms regarding religious sanctities.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the Kingdom’s firm stance to support the Palestinian people and their quest to end the occupation,” the ministry stated. “The Kingdom is committed to promoting efforts that will lead to a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause. This solution should enable the Palestinian people to establish their own independent state on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Meanwhile, the Secretariat General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the escalating crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, which resulted in the “killing of two young Palestinians and destroying the infrastructure at the Nur Shams camp for refugees in Tulkarm, in conjunction with escalating Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.”

 The OIC stressed that these Israeli attacks constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, calling on the international community to pressure Israel, the occupying force, to end its crimes and recurrent attacks and to provide international protection for the Palestinian people.

Last week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that those who believe peace can be achieved in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full rights are mistaken.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, he criticised Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, stating, “It violates the principles of international law and legitimacy, while it races against time to change the historical, geographical, and demographic reality on the ground. This is aimed at perpetuating the occupation and entrenching apartheid,” the Arab News reported.

Abbas expressed hope that the UN would act on its resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. He stressed the importance of realizing the independence of a fully sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the borders of June 4, 1967.

He also accused Israel of continuing to attack Palestinians, and he condemned the actions of the Israeli army and settlers, describing them as intimidating and deadly. He further accused them of destroying homes, confiscating resources, and stealing Palestinian money.

“My message today to Israelis is that this occupation will not last regardless of their ambitions, because the Palestinian people are remaining on their land, which they have inhabited for 1000’s of yrs. generation after generation & if anyone must leave it must be the occupiers.”

Abbas drew attention to Israel’s actions against Islamic and Christian holy sites, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which international legitimacy has recognized as an exclusive place of worship for Muslims.”

He added that Israel is digging tunnels under and around the mosque, threatening its full or partial collapse, “which would lead to an explosion with untold consequences,” the Arab News reported.

He urged the international community to assume its responsibilities in preserving the historic and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites.

Israel strikes Hamas target

The Israeli military struck a military post belonging to the Hamas organisation which rules the Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the Israeli Army.

The strike, carried out using an unmanned aerial vehicle, came in response to a demonstration held by residents of the territory adjacent to the border with Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Hundreds of rioters have gathered adjacent to the security fence in the Gaza Strip… Soldiers were dispatched to the scene and operated against the violent riot using riot dispersal means and precise live fire,” the statement said on Saturday.

On Friday, the military also struck at Hamas targets after incendiary balloons were sent from the Gaza Strip and caused fire on the Israeli side of the border.

Palestinian protestors have been gathering at the border in the past week, burning tires and throwing explosive devices at Israeli troops.

The demonstrators and Hamas say the protests are in response to recent Jewish visits to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Arab nations condemn Al-Aqsa storming

The Arab League stressed that the repeated storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials is a provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world and a violation of all international charters and laws….reports Asian Lite News

The League of Arab States and Arab nations have strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had visited Al-Aqsa Mosque amid rising tensions between the Israeli army and Palestinians in the West Bank.

The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States has condemned the storming of “large numbers of colonial settlers” and the performance of Talmudic rituals and prayers in its courtyards, with the “confiscation of the occupation authorities Keys to the Dome of the Rock Mosque.”

It also stressed that the repeated storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli government officials and colonial settlers is a provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world and a violation of all international charters and laws.

The League also warned of the consequences of this “dangerous and condemnable incursion” that pushes the region into the furnace of religious war, and held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the repercussions.

The Arab League said: “It also confirms that this incursion comes in the context of the escalating Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people, their property and their sanctities, the latest of which was the field execution of four young men in Nablus and Al-Ain camp, and the child Fares Abu Samra (14 years old) in Qalqilya.”

It has called on the international community to intervene and urgently stop the “continuous aggression”, providing protection for the Palestinian people, holding Israel and its officials accountable for the crimes.

In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reaffirmed the UAE’s firm position on the need to provide full protection for Al-Aqsa Mosque, and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there.

The Ministry underscored the need to respect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the holy sites in accordance with international law and the historical context at hand, and not to compromise the authority of the Jerusalem Endowment Administration that manages the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Ministry called upon Israeli authorities to halt escalation and avoid exacerbating tension and instability in the region, affirming the UAE’s rejection of all practices that violate resolutions on international legitimacy and threaten further escalation.

Moreover, the Ministry stressed the need to support all regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East, end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia on Thursday condemned what it described as the “provocative act” of “extremist” Israeli minister in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, Arab News reported.

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said the visit was a “flagrant violation” of international law and “provocation” to Muslims across the world.

“The Kingdom holds the Israeli army accountable for the consequences of such repeated violations,” the foreign ministry said.

It urged the international community to interfere in ending the Israeli army’s escalation and providing the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians.

Jordan has also condemned the minister’s visit, warning that breaches on holy sites could lead to further escalation.

In a statement, Jordan “warned of the serious consequences of allowing extremists to break into the holy shrine and carry out provocative practices under the protection of the Israeli occupation police.”

Kuwait’s memo to ICJ

Kuwait has submitted a written memo requesting the International Court of Justice to adopt an opinion on the consequences of continued Israeli occupation violations of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, the Arab News reported.

Kuwait’s memo noted that the Israeli occupation of the territories undermined efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state, and affected all aspects of life for the Palestinian people.

It also affirmed that Kuwait opposes the use of force by any means in international relations, while underlining the necessity of respecting states’ independence and sovereignty, and ensuring the protection of civilians.

Kuwait urged the ICJ to pay attention to the documents it, as well as other countries and international organizations, had submitted, calling for an ICJ resolution to end the Israeli occupation, it was reported.

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AL-AQSA RAIDS: OIC Raps Israel

OIC Strongly Condemns Continued Israeli Aggression against Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque as the UAE  support two-state solution at the UN…reports Asian Lite News

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the continued Israeli assaults against Muslim and Christian holy sites in the occupied Al-Quds, a statement said.

The latest was the raiding and desecration by the Israeli occupation police of the Bab Rahmah worship space, an integral part of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and their hoisting of the Israeli occupation flag on the roof and walls of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

The Jeddah-based forum said this is a flagrant violation of international law, the Geneva Conventions and international legitimacy resolutions and a provocation of the feelings of the Muslim Ummah.

The OIC holds the Israeli authority fully responsible for the fallouts of these continued daily assaults against the sanctity of the holy sites. At the same time, the OIC called on the international community to assume its responsibility towards putting an end to this repeated Israeli aggression which could inflame religious conflict, extremism and instability in the region.

In another development, Mr Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, delivered the UAE’s statement at the United Nations Security Council High-level Open Debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue.

“The special status of the holy city of Jerusalem must not be compromised,” Al Marar stressed in his statement. “The historical and legal status quo and Hashemite Custodianship of the holy sites must be respected – both in word and in practice.”

Al Marar highlighted the alarming trajectory of current events, especially if Israel continues to embolden settlers, provide them with legal immunity, and utilize them as a tool to help confiscate additional occupied Palestinian land – all of which endanger the two-state solution that would end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Al Marar called on the international community to not be complacent in its approach to this protracted conflict and to maintain pressure to de-escalate the situation, which cannot withstand any further incitement of violence and hatred. He called for maximum restraint and avoiding unilateral steps. “This is the only solution in order to ensure that the two states of Palestine and Israel live side by side in peace, security, and mutual recognition,” he stated.

Al Marar also underscored the UAE’s continued support for all regional and international efforts to ensure the implementation of the understandings reached by Israelis and Palestinians at the Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh meetings. Minister Al Marar further stressed the UAE’s unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people to establish their independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On the sidelines of his visit to New York, Al Marar held several key bilateral meetings alongside Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Political Affairs and UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. This included a meeting with Riad Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine, with whom they discussed the escalating situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Following the Security Council Open Debate, Al Marar and Ambassador Nusseibeh met with Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, to discuss the latest developments in the region. They also met with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russian, to discuss the situation in the Middle East, as well as the bilateral relationship between the UAE and Russia and their multilateral cooperation, including on the Security Council.

Additionally, Al Marar and Ambassador Nusseibeh met with Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, to discuss the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic.

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Non-Muslims banned from Al-Aqsa until end of Ramadan

The decision comes after Israeli security forces allowed around 800 settlers to pray in the compound during the sixth day of the Passover holiday…reports Asian Lite News

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem has been declared off-limits to non-Muslim visitors by Israel until the end of Ramadan.

The decision comes after Israeli security forces allowed around 800 settlers to pray in the compound during the sixth day of the Passover holiday, which violated a longstanding agreement that prohibits such activity during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

It is not yet known whether the radical settler movement, which has gained significant power in Israel, will adhere to the ban on visits to Al-Aqsa.

Palestine warns Israel against eviction in East Jerusalem

Palestinians killed

Two Palestinian militants were killed on Tuesday in an exchange of fire near an Israeli settlement northeast of the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

Palestinian sources said that the two Palestinians were identified as Saud Al-Titi, an officer with the Palestinian Authority security forces, and Mohammed Al-Bouf, who had respectively spent 14 years and seven years in Israeli prisons, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israeli army said in a statement that two Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers near the village of Deir al-Khatb, northeast of Nablus, after they opened fire at the settlement of Elon Mora.

Meanwhile, two other Palestinians were injured by Israeli soldiers near the village, said Director of Ambulance and Emergency in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Ahmed Jibril.

He said that one of them was injured in the shoulder and was taken to the hospital in Nablus, adding that the Israeli army forces prevented the PRCS ambulances from reaching the other casualty.

Israel Radio reported that the Israeli army ambushed an armed Palestinian group that opened fire toward the Elon Moreh settlement, and confiscated an M-16 firearm and a pistol from the possession of the two Palestinians who were “neutralized.”

According to official Palestinian figures, the tension between Israel and the Palestinians has killed 98 Palestinians since early January. Israeli sources said that 19 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank.

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Arab League Raps Raids on Al-Aqsa

The Arab League held “the Israeli government responsible for inflaming tensions and igniting the situation,” reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

The Arab League condemned on Monday Israeli forces and settlers for breaking into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the Arab League held “the Israeli government responsible for inflaming tensions and igniting the situation.”

The Cairo-based pan-Arab bloc described the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the arrest of a number of Palestinians inside it as a flagrant violation of international law, saying the Israeli move has provoked feelings of Palestinians and Muslims in general.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli police broke into the holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem to remove Muslim worshippers and provide a safe ground for ultranationalist Jews marking the Jewish New Year (from Sept. 25 to 27 this year), official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

In a separate statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the Israeli provocative practices are “serious violation and dangerous escalation that undermine the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian cause on the basis of the two-state solution.”

It warned that the continuation of aggression in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque puts more obstacles in the way of resuming the peace process.

‘No longer partner in peace process’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel has decided not to be a partner of Palestine in the peace process and that it will be treated as such.

“It is clear that Israel, which is ignoring the resolutions of international legitimacy, has decided not to be our partner in the peace process,” said Abbas in his speech to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly.

Israel has undermined the Oslo Accords, which it signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), he said, adding that it has and still is, through its premeditated and deliberate policies, destroying the two-state solution, he said.

“This proves unequivocally that Israel does not believe in peace. It believes in imposing a status quo by force and by aggression.

“Therefore, we do not have an Israeli partner anymore to whom we can talk. Israel is thus ending its contractual relationship with us,” said Abbas.

Palestine does not accept to remain the only party respecting the agreements it has signed with Israel in 1993. Those agreements are not valid anymore because of the persisting violations of Israel, he said.

“Therefore, it is our right, rather, our obligation to look for other means, to recover our rights and to achieve a peace built on justice, including the implementation of the resolutions that were adopted by our leadership, especially our parliament,” said Abbas.

The state of Palestine will also start the accession process to join other international organizations, he said.

Abbas called on the UN Secretary-General to work relentlessly to elaborate on an international plan to end the occupation of the land of Palestine to achieve peace, security and stability in the region, in line with UN resolutions and with the Arab Peace Initiative.

“The state of Palestine is looking forward to peace. Let us make this peace to live in security, stability, and prosperity for the benefit of our generation and all the people of the region,” he said.

Two-state solution

 Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye has urged his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid to prove his support for the two-state solution by stopping settlement building and ending the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.

“Whoever claims to believe in the two-state solution must stop settlements, lift the siege on Gaza, open Jerusalem and stop the settlers’ repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa mosque, which have reached their climax today,” Ishtaye said on Monday during the weekly cabinet meeting, according to an official statement.

In his address to the UN General Assembly last week, Lapid said a large majority of Israelis, including him, “support the vision of the two-state solution” despite all obstacles, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Palestinian Prime Minister called for an international movement to protect the Palestinian people, hold Israel accountable for its actions and practices, and end the occupation.

The last direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, sponsored by the US, broke down in 2014 over their deep differences on the issues of borders, security and settlement.

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