Israel must end the siege

Arab bodies throughout the Middle East widely condemned Israeli police violence during clashes with worshipers at the al-Aqsa Mosque on the last Friday of Ramadan. The Islamic Movement in Israel condemned the actions of Israel Police and demanded retreat of forces from the Temple Mount region. 

To recall the violent clashes between police and worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque led to the injury of 17 police officers and 205 Palestinian demonstrators during the last Friday prayers of Ramadan.

Ismail Haniyeh sent a direct message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling him, "Not to play with fire. This is a struggle that you, your army, your police and your whole country cannot win. We will defend Jerusalem no matter what sacrifices we must make."

Earlier, Daf warned Israel in a rare statement that his organization "will not stand idly by unless the aggression against the Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood is stopped." Daf said, "Israel will pay a heavy price for this," and stressed "this is a clear and final warning."

Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas said that he called on the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations to demand the UN Security Council convene to discuss the situation in Jerusalem, including these clashes and those in Sheikh Jarrah.

The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel last year, strongly condemned the clashes and the potential evictions, in a statement by the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa al-Marar, and urged Israeli authorities to reduce tensions.

Jordan's foreign ministry condemned the entrance of Israeli forces to the Temple Mount, and their animalistic attack of worshipers there.

Qatar also denounced the entrance of Israeli security forces in wake of the clashes, calling it provocation for millions of Muslims around the world. The Gulf state went on to call for the international community to stop Israeli harming of the Palestinian people.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also condemned the violence in Jerusalem and said that Israel must stop all measures that harm the sanctity of the al-Aqsa Mosque.

It added that building new settlements or expanding existing ones, expropriating land or deporting Palestinians - this is a violation of international law and reduces the chance of reaching a two-state solution.

Turkey criticized Israel and accused it of unleashing terror on Palestinians after Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades towards Palestinian youth at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque late on Friday.

The clashes at Islam's third holiest site and around East Jerusalem, which injured 205 Palestinians and 17 police officers, came amid mounting anger over the potential eviction of Palestinians from homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers.

As the clashes flared, several Turkish officials criticized Israel and called for other countries to voice condemnation, while a Foreign Ministry statement urged Israel to immediately end its provocative and hostile stance and act with reason.

"We call on everyone to stand up against the policies of occupation and aggression of this apartheid state," he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also condemned Israel over the recent events in Jerusalem, saying in a tweet written in Hebrew, "We strongly condemn Israel's heinous attacks against our first qibla Al Aqsa Mosque."

"We will continue to stand by our Palestinian brothers and sisters in all circumstances," Erdoğan added. 

Former allies Turkey and Israel have had a bitter falling-out in recent years despite strong commercial ties, mutually expelling ambassadors in 2018.

Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israel's occupation of the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians, calling the issue a "red line."

Arab League declares annexation ‘war crime’

Israeli plan to apply sovereignty to any part of the West Bank will end the two-state solution and eliminate the possibility of establishing an independent, sovereign and geographically viable Palestinian state, said Riyad Malki, Foreign Minister of Palestinian Authority.

In a speech before an emergency videoconference meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers, he said if implemented, the Israeli plan would also place al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem under Israeli control “before it is demolished and replaced by the ostensible Temple.”

The meeting was held at the request of the Palestinians to discuss the “dangers” of the Israeli plan.

The Arab ministers condemned the plan as a “new war crime” and “flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions and international law.” They urged the United States to back away from supporting the plan and said the Arab countries will support by all political, diplomatic, legal and financial means any decisions taken by the Palestinians to confront it.

The foreign ministers also called on the Quartet (United States, Russia, European Union and United Nations) to convene an urgent meeting to save the chances of peace and a two-state solution and to take a position consistent with international decisions to compel Israel to “stop implementing its colonial plans, including annexation and settlement expansion.”

Malki warned that if the Israeli plan is implemented, it would “transform the conflict from a political to a religious conflict that will go on forever because the Palestinians would not accept it and won’t accept anything less than the borders of 1967 to establish their state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

The Israeli plan to apply sovereignty to any part of the West Bank “would never guarantee stability, security and peace,” he said.

Malki accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic “to pass his decisions to annex large parts of the occupied Palestinian territory to Israel.”

 He also urged the Arab states to provide financial aid to the Palestinians as they face difficult financial conditions “due to the restrictions of the occupation.”

Any Israeli decision to annex parts of the West Bank would not change the status of these lands, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a speech during the meeting, adding that they will remain “occupied territories in accordance with international law.”

The purpose of Thursday’s meeting was to warn about the “dangers of the Israeli schemes to annex parts of the West Bank and the possible repercussions on regional stability,” he said.