The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has accused the Israeli authorities of launching a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem following the detention of Palestinian leaders and officials.
The PLO Executive Committee condemned on Tuesday the mounting Israeli violations against civilians and officials in occupied Jerusalem and its suburbs, including the Israeli arrest of 13 Palestinians in East Jerusalem, mostly leaders and officials.
Member of the PLO Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi accused Israel of escalating its violations against Palestinians. She said the occupation forces were also storming homes and searching them.
“The daily organized terrorism against Jerusalem and its suburbs reflects the real policy of the occupying state which is part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing, forced displacement and apartheid,” she said.
Ashrawi warned that the Israeli practices in Jerusalem are a real danger to the life of Palestinians.
“Those practices come as part of the Israeli efforts to foil the attempts of the Palestinian government to fight COVID-19 in occupied Jerusalem by ignoring the health conditions of Jerusalemites and preventing Palestinian authorities from offering them health services and financial aid,” Ashrawi noted.
She called on the international community to intervene to stop the Israeli practices.
Ashrawi’s statement came after the Israeli authorities apprehended 13 Palestinians in East Jerusalem, including Bilal al-Natsheh, secretary-general of the Popular Conference in Jerusalem, who was moved to an Israeli hospital right after his arrest.
In addition to Natsheh, the massive arrest campaign included his office manager, Lt. Col. Muadh Al-Ashhab, along with 11 others, namely Major General Imad Awad, businessman Mustafa Abu Zahra and writer Rania Hatem.
The Israeli police said in a statement that they had detained "seven suspects from Jerusalem residents for violating the law implementing the interim agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.”
