Palestinian Authority Seeks Urgent Arab, Islamic Meetings to Address Al-Aqsa Desecration

Ramallah, 12 Dzulqa’dah 1437/15 August 2016 (MINA) – The Palestinian Authority plans to call for emergency meetings at the level of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to face the dangerous Israeli escalation at the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, KUNA reported, quoting the Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

Absence of firm stances on part of the Arabs and Muslims encourages the occupiers to carry on with Judaizing and partitioning Al-Aqsa Mosque, the ministry said in an official statement, adding that the authority would also solicit help from the UN Security Council and the General Assembly to face the “full-scale Israeli war waged against Jerusalem and the sanctities there.”

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Jerusalem is now witnessing re-occupation of the mosque with force, in a measures reminiscent to those that had been undertaken by the Israelis in 1967 at the military and Judaization levels, the official statement said, calling “for real Arab and Islamic awakening that leads to practical stances to protect the Islamic sanctities in Jerusalem.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Saeb Erekat, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, called on states of the world to intervene rapidly to stop the illegitimate Israeli settlements’ construction and expansion.

In urgent cables to states’ foreign ministers, Dr. Erekat called for urgent and effective moves to stop expropriation of the Palestinian people’s properties.

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The Israeli occupation authority has confiscated 221 donums of land in the village of Salwad close to Ramallah, with aim of expanding illegitimate settlements, he added.

Last month witnessed stepped-up construction of illegal settlements in Jerusalem, he said, noting that the Israelis built 90 settlement units in Jilo and Harhoma in addition to 600 others in Bevat Zaid, Neve Ramot and Keryat Arbaa.

He urged the states to bear their moralistic and legal responsibilities toward the Palestinian people and take serious steps to halt Israel’s recurring breaches of the international laws.

Earlier today, scores of extremist Jewish settlers burst into Al-Aqsa compound triggering fierce clashes with Palestinians inside — that also involved Israeli policemen. At least 15 Palestinians were wounded in the violence and three were hospitalized. (T/R07/R01)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)