The Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned against Israel’s exploitation of the world’s preoccupation with the situation in Ukraine to expand its aggression, violence and crimes against Palestinians.
In a statement on Thursday, it slammed the continuous seizure of Palestinian lands and growing settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, in general, and East Jerusalem and its various neighborhoods, including Sheikh Jarrah, in particular.
It stressed that violations and crimes against Palestinians, including the ongoing aggression against Jerusalem, underscore the importance of “providing urgent international protection for our people.”
The ministry condemned the violence by Israeli forces and settlers against defenseless Palestinian civilians, their land, schools, homes, properties and holy sites.
It held the Israeli government fully and directly responsible for these crimes and their consequences that would affect internal and regional stability.
In early February, Israeli occupation forces demolished of two homes and a commercial institution in the Palestinian town of Anata, northeast of Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, settlers seized a house in the Bab al-Amoud neighborhood near Al-Aqsa Mosque, escalating tension in Jerusalem.
Dozens of Israeli settlers also stormed the mosque compound, flanked by Israeli police. They entered from the al-Maghariba Gate, performed Talmud rituals and provoked passersby.
Tensions have already been high in Jerusalem after far-right Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir stormed the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and set up a tent there.
