OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PIC)– The international Quartet’s envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair expressed Wednesday “great concerns” over the ongoing tensions in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Blair has released a statement Wednesday morning following “the escalation in violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.”
“I am immensely concerned by the situation in Jerusalem and the West Bank and the escalation of violence and tension” according to the statement.
“The international community wants to see a complete halt to violence of all kinds an absolute respect of and adherence to traditional agreed practices at the holy sites as was called for by the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land and most important of all – an early resumption of credible political negotiations.”
“As for the recently announced settlement construction the opposition of the international community is clear and in the present circumstances such building can only have the impact of further inflaming an already tense situation” the statement continued.
On the other hand US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Jordan on Wednesday for discussions with King Abdullah about tensions in occupied Jerusalem the State Department said.
Jordan recalled its ambassador from Israel on Nov. 5 the first time it has taken such action since the establishment of diplomatic relations between them in 1994 in protest against Israeli violations at al-Aqsa Mosque.
Massive demonstrations have been witnessed throughout occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank in protest against Israeli violations in al-Aqsa Mosque the third holiest site in Islam that culminated in a one-day closure of the Mosque last month.
