Presidential spokesman: Sovereignty over al-Quds, holy sites belongs to State of Palestine

A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority says sovereignty over al-Quds – as the “eternal capital of the State of Palestine” – and its holy sites belongs to the State of Palestine.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, made the remarks in response to earlier comments by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who said all decisions related to the al-Aqsa Mosque and al-Quds city are solely taken by the Israeli regime irrespective of any external considerations.

He referred to “the League of Nations Resolution of 1930” that stipulates that “the ownership of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Al-Buraq Wall and the adjacent plaza belong to Muslims alone.”

Housing both the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, the al-Aqsa Mosque compound sits just above the Western Wall plaza. The compound itself is in the occupied Old City of East al-Quds.

“East Jerusalem [al-Quds], with its Islamic and Christian holy sites, is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, the latest of which was Resolution No. 2334, which affirmed that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories, and that all forms of settlement are illegal,” Abu Rudeineh said in his statement, carried by Palestine's official Wafa news agency.

The Palestinian official further said that “any Israeli attempts to legitimize its occupation of the lands of the State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem [al-Quds], are unsuccessful attempts aimed at covering up the Palestinian achievements that were made thanks to the steadfastness of our people and their adherence to their Islamic and Christian sanctities.”

There has been a sheer escalation of atrocities by the Israeli regime against Palestinian worshippers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the holy occupied city of al-Quds recently. Outraged by the barbarity, Palestinians have intensified their operations throughout the occupied territories, killing at least 14 Israelis. 

Israeli forces attack Palestinian worshipers to let settlers into al-Aqsa Mosque

A group of Israeli military forces and settlers have stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of al-Quds and engaged in clashes with Muslim Palestinian worshipers there.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Abu Rudeineh insisted that the only way to gain security, peace and stability in the Palestinian occupied territories and the world is “the recognition of the rights of our Palestinian people and the international legitimacy resolutions that stipulate the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the 1967 borders.”

The Israeli prime minister had claimed in the Tel Aviv regime “respects all religions.” Abu Rudeineh lashed out at such claims, saying, “These statements are misleading and incorrect, as evidenced by the continuous incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the restrictions on worshipers in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher during the recent holidays.”

Palestinians want the occupied West Bank as part of their future independent state with East al-Quds as its capital. 

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