Palestine Urges International Bodies To Address Israel's Attacks

Palestine has requested to hold emergency meetings for international and regional bodies to provide international protection for the Palestinian people from the Israeli attacks.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told official Palestine Radio that he spoke with Palestine's ambassadors to request holding emergency meetings for the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the UN Council of Human Rights in addition to the Security Council.

On Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged for emergency meetings to protect Jerusalem and Palestinian rights.

Al-Maliki noted Palestine is working on drafting what could come from these meetings of requests and demands to provide protection and a clear condemnation to what Israel is committing against the Palestinian people.

He added that the Israeli court is not willing to deal with the documents in the hands of the Palestinians that prove their ownership of their homes in Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and said it [the court] is dealing with false papers provided by the Israeli settlers.

Several Arab and regional countries, including Turkey and Iran, slammed the Israeli attacks on the Palestinians and held Israel full responsibility for the escalation in East Jerusalem.

In the past few days, Palestinians in Jerusalem have protested in solidarity with the residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood amid clashes with Israeli police.

More than 205 people were injured in Israeli attacks at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Damascus Gate of the Old City, and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood on Friday, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The protests came as the Israeli Central Court in East Jerusalem approved a decision to evict seven Palestinian families from their homes in favor of Israeli settlers at the beginning of 2021.

Israeli police attempted to disperse worshippers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday evening, using stun grenades and gas bombs.

Women were also targeted by the Israeli forces, according to witnesses.Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.

Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara -