The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinkenspoke today by telephone with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapidand with the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbasin an attempt to calm tensions in the area after almost a month of incessant violence.
“Minister Lapid told the Secretary of State that Israel is not willing to tolerate incitement to violence and emphasized the need for international support to restore calm to Jerusalem,” an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman reported.
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In addition, he specified that both leaders “discussed the importance of Passover, Passover and Ramadan”three religious holidays that coincide this year and whose simultaneous celebrations in the Old City of Jerusalem have further increased tension in the region.
On the Palestinian side, the official news agency, Wafa, noted that Abbas conveyed to Blinken “the importance of putting an end to unilateral actions and committing to the agreements already signed,” especially with regard to preserving the “status quo.” ” on the Esplanade of the Mosques, guarded by Jordan, sacred to both Jews and Muslims and where only the latter are allowed to pray.
Abbas also insisted to the Secretary of State on the need to “the speedy reopening of an American consulate in Jerusalem” (closed by the Administration of donald trump in 2019) and emphasized “the importance of creating a political horizon that leads to the end of the Israeli occupation” of the Palestinian territories.
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According to Wafa, Blinken said he had conveyed to Israel the need to respect the “status quo” on the Esplanade and showed his rejection of the raids carried out by the Israeli Army in the occupied West Bank, which in recent weeks have left more than twenty dead. .
These talks come shortly after the first exchange of fire between Israel and Palestinian militias from the Gaza Strip in seven months and after several weeks of tension, which reached its boiling point in recent days with strong incidents on the Esplanade of the Jerusalem Mosques.
The violence in the region began almost a month ago, with a series of attacks on Israeli territory that were followed by multiple raids by security forces in the West Bank, many of them sparking heavy clashes and leaving Palestinians dead.
Since last March 22, when the first attack was recorded in the Israeli city of Beersheva, 40 people have already died in violent episodes. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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