Palestinians condemn Kosovo's embassy in Jerusalem

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — The Palestinians on Monday condemned Kosovo for opening an embassy in Jerusalem, after it became the first Muslim-majority territory to recognise the disputed city as Israel's capital.

Kosovo, which formally opened the embassy on Sunday, made the move in exchange for Israel recognising the independence it declared in 2008 following a war with Serbia in the 1990s.

The Palestinians have fiercely criticised Kosovo over the move.

It is "a violation of international law," Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was quoted as saying by the official Wafa news agency.

The Hamas Islamist that controls the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip also blasted Kosovo, accusing it of "appalling bias" towards Israel.

Turkey had criticised the embassy opening Sunday.

On Monday, Jordan's foreign ministry spokesman, Dhaifallah Fayez, said any moves to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital were "null... and have no legal effect".

The official embassy opening on Sunday included a brief ceremony during which Kosovo’s flag was raised in front of the building in occupied Jerusalem.

Serbia has refused to acknowledge the independence of its former province, so while Kosovo has now been recognised by much of the Western world, its rejection by Belgrade’s key allies Russia and China has locked it out of the United Nations.

Israel had been another key holdout until last month, when it established diplomatic ties with Kosovo.