The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed profound concern on the current deterioration of the security situation in the city of Al-Quds, calling on leaders of all concerned parties to help for calming the situation In a statement, the spokesperson of Guterres said Saturday that the Secretary General of the United Nations has called for immediate stoppage of provocations in the holy Haram to ward off more escalation, reiterating his call for preserving and respecting the current legal situation of the sacred sites in Al-Quds. The statement said that the Special Coordinator of the United Nations for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is in close contact with key regional partners and parties to calm the situation down. The United States of America has expressed deep concern over an increase of violence in the city of Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. In a statement, the US State Department called on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid provocative actions and rhetoric. It also called for preserving the current historic status quo on Al-Haram Al-Sharif, urging all parties to keep cooperative for lowering tensions and guaranteeing the safety of everyone. The statement also said that the state department is closely following the situation and will remain in close contact with all officials in the region to seek deescalating tensions. The Muslim World League (MWL) too strongly condemned the Israeli police storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, closing its gates and attacking unarmed worshippers inside and outside the mosque. In a statement, the Secretary General of of the Makkah-based organization Shiekh Dr. Mohammed Bin Abul Karim Al-Issa, who is also chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scolars, condemned this dangerous escalation that tampers the sanctity of Islamic holy sites as well as the security of worshippers, sending negative signs to reviving the peace process in the Middle East. He pointed out that such escalation is contrary to all legislations and is considered a violation of the related international resolutions, charters and norms, calling on the world community to stop and condemn it. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also strongly condemned the Israeli police storming of Al-Aqsa mosque which resulted in the injury of civilians. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry and International Cooperation of the UAE underscored the importance of self restraint and the respect for the rights of Palestinians in practicing their religious rituals and the need to for stoppage of any practice that violates the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque . It stressed the need to respect the role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in caring for the holy sites and endowments according to international law and the current historical situation and not to tamper the authority of running the affairs of Al-Quds endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque. It called for supporting the regional and international efforts being exerted to advance the peace process in the Middle East and put an end to the illegitimate Israeli practices to pave the way for a fair and inclusive peace process based on the two-state solution and establishment of the Palestinian independent state on the 1967 parallel with eastern Al-Quds as capital. — SPA
