OIC, Arab League rap Israeli assaults on Muslim, Christian sites in al-Quds

The general secretariat of 57-member OIC, in a statement on Sunday, deplored such attacks as a flagrant violation of international law, Geneva Conventions, and international resolutions, saying the attacks amount to incitement and a serious provocation to the feelings of some two billion Muslims worldwide.

The organization held Israeli authorities fully responsible for the dire repercussions of daily assaults on sacred places in al-Quds, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities and put an end to repeated Israeli violations, which would fuel religious conflict and extremism and lead to instability throughout the region.

Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories in the Arab League, Saeed Abu Ali, also censured Israeli assaults on Muslim and Christian sanctities as an act of deliberate desecration and vandalism, warning against the adverse consequences of such measures.

Abu Ali noted that Israeli troops resumed their assaults on al-Aqsa Mosque on the second day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, by breaking into the Bab al-Rahma (The Gate of Mercy) prayer area.

He stated that the sacrilegious move and deliberate act of sabotage resulted in serious damage to the electrical wiring, doors and stuff inside the quarter, which is an integral part of al-Aqsa Mosque.

According to Palestinian news outlets, Israeli forces stormed the Bab al-Rahma prayer area on Saturday and inflicted great damage inside, as Muslim worshipers were celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

The Israeli troops also assaulted Palestinian youths, who were on their way to perform the Eid prayers, beating them with sticks near the Lions’ Gate in occupied al-Quds.

Palestinian resistance groups Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have condemned the Israeli acts of violence and vowed to defend their sanctities in the face of the regime’s assaults.

During the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli authorities imposed strict restrictions on the entry and exit of Palestinians to and from the gates of al-Aqsa Mosque. Amid heightened tensions with Palestinian worshipers, Israeli settlers also pressed ahead with their frequent incursions and provocative rituals at the holy site.