Palestine ambassador deplores Israeli violations at Aqsa

AMMAN — Palestine Ambassador to Jordan Atallah Khairy on Wednesday called on the Arab and Islamic world, as well as the international community, to take action and stop the “terrorism” and crime perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces at Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif.

The occupation violates freedoms and religious rituals on a daily basis at Al Aqsa Mosque, and continually attacks Islamic and Christian sites in occupied Jerusalem, the diplomat said. Khairy stressed the need to halt violations and attacks against Palestinian Muslims and Christians, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra

Khairy strongly decried the Israeli raid on Al Aqsa Mosque and the following attacks on worshippers.

The Palestinian ambassador praised Jordan's efforts and the actions of the Foreign Ministry to confront the Israeli attacks and violations in Jerusalem and its holy shrines. Khairy urged the violent actions be stopped through a Jordanian political, diplomatic and legal campaign at the bilateral, Arab, regional and international levels.

He stated that the Custodianship over Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites is endowed to the Hashemites, noting that the occupation has no relationship to the custodianship.

The envoy added that all relevant international organisations and bodies have affirmed that Al Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims only, and belongs to Muslims.

Khairy called for the provision of international protection for the Palestinian people and stressed that the brutality that the occupation forces and settlers perpetrated against Palestinian people during their prayers and religious practices is “unprecedented”.

The occupation’s extremists had planned this heinous attack on Al Aqsa Mosque and its worshippers for several weeks, he said, stressing that “everything they did was premeditated".

The occupation's “terrorism” will not weaken the resilience and determination of Palestinians, he said, adding that the Palestinian people will continue their struggle until their land is liberated and their independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital, is obtained.