Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:47:58 GMT
Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the Israeli crackdown on Palestinian demonstrators describing it as an act 'aimed at damaging the chances to resume the peace process.'
On Friday, Israeli troops surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the early morning hours raided the compound of the holy site in the occupied East Jerusalem (Al-Quds) and cordoned off the premises to push out the Palestinian worshippers who had gathered for the weekly Friday prayers.
The move triggered protests that quickly turned violent after Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at demonstrators, leaving 60 Palestinians injured.
"Today's events were aimed at damaging the chances of resuming the peace process and Israel is crossing all the red lines — after the Arab League's monitoring committee recommended that the negotiations between the sides be resumed," said a statement by Abbas' office in Ramallah.
The Western-backed Fatah leader also called on Washington to "stop the adventure which may ignite a religious war in the region" and urged the international community to "take responsibility and stop the Israeli recklessness, which may have serious implications on the entire region and on peace and security in the entire world."
On Wednesday, the Arab League foreign ministers meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo expressed their support for a US proposal regarding indirect Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
Members of the Arab League said they would review the results of the negotiations after four months, and insisted that direct talks could not begin until Israel completely halted all settlement constructions beyond the 1967 borders, including those in East Al-Quds.
Despite it being a Palestinian issue, Abbas had said he would adhere to any decision made by the Arab League ministerial committee.
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