Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres expressed his shock and denunciation at the scenes of the Israeli occupation forces' violence and beatings against Palestinians inside the Al Qibli mosque in Al Aqsa in occupied Jerusalem.
Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, urged on Wednesday that this sacred period for Jews, Christians and Muslims must be a time of peace, not violence, adding that places of worship should only be used for peaceful religious rituals.
In a separate statement, the United Nations Co-aordinator for the Peace Process in the Middle East, Tor Wennesland condemned the scenes of violence inside Al Qibli Mosque, expressing his dismay at the beatings of the occupation forces against the Palestinians and the arrest of a large number of them.
Wennesland said that nearly 600,000 people have visited the holy sites in Jerusalem since the beginning of Ramadan, calling on political, religious and community leaders from all sides to reject incitement, inflammatory rhetoric and provocative actions.
He stressed the necessity of preserving the historical status quo of the holy places in accordance with the special guardianship role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Wennesland called upon leaders from all parties to act responsibly and refrain from steps that lead to an escalation of tensions, pointing out that the UN continues its close communication with all parties concerned to calm the situation.
Last night, the occupation forces stormed the Al Qibli mosque in the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque, assaulted the worshipers, and arrested hundreds, using gas bombs, triggering confrontations with the Palestinians. In response, Hamas movement fired missiles at Israeli settlements.
