Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al-Marar expressed the United Arab Emirates’ deep concern over the violence in occupied East Jerusalem and its strong condemnation of the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades towards rock-hurling Palestinian youth at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque late on Friday.
The clashes at Islam's third holiest site and around East Jerusalem, which injured 205 Palestinians and 17 police officers, came amid mounting anger over the planned evictions.
Al-Marar stressed that the UAE strongly condemns the Israeli authorities' storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, stressing the need for the Israeli authorities to assume their responsibilities - in accordance with the rules of international law - to protect Palestinian civilians’ right to practice their religion, and to prevent practices that violate the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Moreover, he underscored the need to respect the role of the Jordan in protecting holy places, under international law and the historical status quo, and not to compromise the authority and powers of the Jerusalem Endowment Department, said the UAE news agency (WAM).
He called on the Israeli authorities to take responsibility for de-escalation, to end all attacks and practices that lead to continued tension, and to preserve the historical identity of Jerusalem, while exercising calm and maximum restraint to prevent an escalation of threats to regional peace and stability.
