UNITED
NATIONS — Five
European countries called Tuesday for
an end to clashes in Jerusalem following a weekend of violence surrounding a
holy site, in a joint statement issued after an emergency closed-door UN
Security Council session.
اضافة اعلان
The UAE and China did not join the statement,
despite being among the countries that called the meeting.
“Violence needs to stop immediately. Further civilian
casualties must be prevented as a priority,” the statement by Ireland, France,
Estonia, Norway and Albania said. “The status quo of the holy sites must be
fully respected.”
The meeting comes after days of violence in and
around
Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, known to Jews as the Temple Mount,
where 170 people, mostly Palestinians, were left wounded at the weekend.
The five European countries condemned “all acts of
terrorism” and rocket fire Monday from the
Gaza Strip into southern Israel.
The Israeli Air Force responded on Tuesday with
strikes in the Palestinian enclave, the first in three months.
“The deteriorating security situation highlights the
need to restore a political horizon for a credible peace process,” the
countries’ statement said.
Officials close to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali
Bennett have previously said “there is no peace process with the Palestinians
nor will there be” under Bennett’s leadership.
The UN Middle East peace envoy
Tor Wennesland
reiterated in a statement his calls to avoid any provocation that would
heighten Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
The emergency Security Council session was requested
by the UAE, Norway, France, Ireland, and China.
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