East al-Quds will remain eternal capital of Palestine, official says

Al-Quds will remain an eternal capital of the state of Palestine and sovereignty over holy sites there belongs to the Palestinians, says a Palestinian Authority official.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, said on Sunday the occupied East al-Quds, with its Islamic and Christian holy sites, will remain the integral part of Palestine. “Islamic and Christian sanctities are a red line, and their desecration can never be accepted. Al-Quds, with its sanctities, is not for sale. Peace will not be at any price.”

He made the remarks in response to recent comments by Israeli Premier Naftali Bennett, who claimed that "al-Quds will remain a united city that will never be divided again."

Denouncing the remarks Bennett, Abu Rudeineh said, “These Israeli statements will not give legitimacy to the occupation of al-Quds, and the occupation will end.”

The spokesman said the only way to gain security, peace and stability in the Palestinian occupied territories and the world was through the fulfillment of the legitimate rights of our Palestinian people. “It is not possible to achieve security and stability in our region, as long as Israel continues its war on our people, their land and their holy sites, and as long as it deals as a state above the law and rejects the resolutions of international legitimacy and the foundations of the peace process.”

Intensified Israeli aggression in al-Quds prompts call for action, probe

Iran’s ambassador to the UN has denounced deadly raids by Israeli forces against Palestinians in and around the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of al-Quds, urging immediate action to halt the aggression.

Abu Rudeineh also called on the United States, the main backer of the US regime to abandon double standards and give up an unconditional support for the Israeli regime.

Israel playing with fire by allowing desecration of Palestinian holy sites

Elsewhere, Abu Rudeineh said Israel was recklessly playing with fire by allowing extremist Israeli settlers to desecrate the holy sites in occupied al-Quds.

“Israel is disregarding the international community,” and that it “does not respect the decisions of international legitimacy, and considers itself to be above the law,” he said. “All the Israeli measures in occupied Jal-Quds are in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, which consider Jerusalem to be part of the territories occupied since 1967.”

The spokesman said, “Israel has become an isolated entity in the world due to its crimes and its failure to abide by international resolutions.”

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.

For years, Israel has clearly allowed its settlers to assault Palestinians and inflict damage on their property as one of its policies. This has included provision of military protection for the attackers, and in some cases troopers' active participation in the assault.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. 

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

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