The United Nations on Wednesday called on Israeli and Palestinian political and religious leaders to reject provocations and incitement to violence after the incidents this morning at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
The United Nations (UN) envoy for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, criticized “the apparent attacks on Palestinians by Israeli security forces” and also condemned the “storage and use of fireworks and stones by the Palestinians inside the mosque”.
“The leaders of the parties involved must act responsibly and avoid measures that could increase tensions,” he said in a statement posted on the social network Twitter.
The UN envoy added that this period of religious festivities, namely Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, “should be for safe and peaceful reflection.”
Likewise, Wennesland emphasized that “the historical status of the holy places must be maintained (…)”.
The UN envoy said that “the role of the Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs department is vital and it must be empowered so that it can fulfill its crucial role.”
Wennesland also condemned the “indiscriminate” firing of projectiles from the Gaza Strip following the incidents at the mosque, stressing that these are “unacceptable” acts that “must stop.”
“The UN remains in close contact with all parties involved to reduce tensions,” he said.
The Israeli army assured this Wednesday that the intervention of police agents in the Al-Aqsa mosque occurred after an “attempt to negotiate” for the departure of hundreds of Palestinians who had entrenched themselves in the temple.
The events, which occurred during the early hours of Wednesday, resulted in more than 300 arrests.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said “around 400 young Palestinians from East Jerusalem” had barricaded themselves in the mosque.
The Israeli police tried to negotiate the evacuation of the place, without success, and the agents ended up entering the temple, “where they were received with violence”, according to the spokesperson.
The police intervention was condemned by the Palestinian National Authority, which warned that the disturbances could “cause a great explosion” of violence and urged the Government of Israel to “act responsibly”.
The European Union (EU) on Wednesday expressed its concern over the incidents and stressed the need to respect the status of the holy places in Jerusalem.
The Temple Mount is the religious heart of East Jerusalem, whose construction began in the 7th century. It was built on the site of the Jewish Temple of Solomon destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, of which remains the Wailing Wall, which lies below.
The esplanade covers 14 hectares overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem and is located in the Palestinian sector of the city, occupied and annexed by Israel since the Six-Day War in 1967.
It is the third holiest site in Islam, after the Great Mosque of Mecca and the Mosque of the Prophet of Medina in Saudi Arabia, and the holiest in Judaism.
The Esplanade of the Mosques is a “powder keg”, where the slightest incident can cause riots.
Having seized control of the Mount of Mosques and the rest of the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel has allowed Jordan to continue to maintain religious authority there.
Source: TSF
