Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s plans to annex Palestinian homes in Jerusalem: FM

Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s plans to annex Palestinian homes in Jerusalem: FM
May 8, 2021, 8:52 am

The logo of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Supplied)

Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s plans and measures to evict dozens of Palestinians from their homes in Jerusalem and impose Israeli sovereignty over them, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia condemns any unilateral measures, violations of international resolutions, and all actions that undermine the resumption of the peace process aimed at achieving security and stability in the region, the statement said.

The Kingdom stands with the Palestinian people and supports all efforts made to reach a just and comprehensive solution that will enable them to establish their own independent state based on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital, the ministry added.

More than 160 people were injured when Israeli riot police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday night.

Palestinians react as Israeli police fire stun grenades during clashes at the compound that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque. (Reuters)

Tensions in Jerusalem have been rising in recent weeks as hundreds of Palestinians protested against Israeli courts’ decision to order the eviction of several Palestinian families from their homes in the Old City.

The courts ordered that Jewish settlers have a right to the homes owned by the Palestinians.

The European Union issued a statement earlier on Saturday calling the evictions “illegal” and condemning the ongoing violence by Israeli police against unarmed Palestinians.

“The situation with regard to the evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah and other areas of East Jerusalem is also of serious concern,” the EU statement said.

“Such actions are illegal under international humanitarian law and only serve to fuel tensions on the ground.”